Passive Solar Design - Methods and Benefits in Home Design

Now you can go green, save energy and money while enjoying the sun. Your home can be designed to take advantage of the power of the sun. Passive solar design is the art and science of using the sun's energy and the geographical climate to suit your home. Specifically designed to keep you warm during winter, and keep you cool during summer.

  

Passive solar design has many benefits. It reduces the cost of utilities, there is little need for maintenance and it is more reasonably priced than its counterparts. Not only does this save your money but it also saves our natural resources, minimizing the use of fossil fuels which has negative impact on our environment.

There are many ways to use passive solar design techniques but it’s relatively easier to do this when designing for a new home. Nevertheless, existing buildings can be modified to gather and store solar heat. In building the perfect passive home, here are the things to consider.

The first principle of passive solar house design is orientation. This pertains to the position of the house in relation to the sun, to ensure that it would supply maximum performance and take advantage of energy savings.

Next to take in account is the glazing. Glazing or south facing glass absorbs the sunlight that enters the home. These are basically windows that act as collectors of heat and distribute it evenly through the house. Southern facing windows are very important because the southern side will most likely absorb natural light throughout the day. There are many kinds of overhangs; it can be louvered, solid, vegetation-supporting or combinations of the three. It can also be operable, fixed or removable.

Then there is the thermal mass. Thermal mass are materials that retain the heat produced by sunlight. It is the material underneath or behind whereas the absorber is an exposed surface, although they often form the same wall or floor.

 Disclaimer: Photos are not mine. Therefore borrowed. Thank you!

The most basic of all solar passive techniques is suntempering. It is basically increasing the number of windows on the south side. It is very low cost as it is done without adding extra thermal mass apart from the framing.

On the other hand, Direct gain pertains to the heat that enters the house through windows, warming the inside space.  After the sun goes down, the heat stored by the thermal mass will continue to emit into the space.