Employ Passive Solar Energy Today And Start Saving $$$$
Step outside on a hot and sunny summer day, and you'll feel the power of solar heat and light. Today, many buildings are designed to take advantage of this natural resource through the use of passive solar heating.
The south side of a building always receives the most sunlight. Therefore, buildings designed for passive solar heating usually have large, south-facing windows. Materials that absorb and store the sun's heat can be built into the sunlit floors and walls. The floors and walls will then heat up during the day and slowly release heat at night, when the heat is needed most. This passive solar design feature is called direct gain.
Here are 7 basic fundamentals,of passive solar energy, that will cost you nothing or very little and save you cash for many years to come!
1. Orientation, layout and positioning of your house on the land.
Orientate your living areas to the south side of the house, which receives most of the sun throughout the day (north if you live in the southern hemisphere).
Passive Solar Home
2. Insulation and draft proofing
Make sure your walls, roof and floors are insulated and fill any gaps where drafts might come through.
3. Ventilation
Position doors and windows opposite each other to allow for a cooling breeze to flow through the house when the air cool down in the evening of a hot summers day.
4. Windows
Windows on the south side of the house should be bigger to allow more sun to penetrate the house during the day and windows on the north side smaller to prevent heat lost at night.
5. Landscaping
Position trees and plants to direct a cooling breeze into your house, whiles shading it during summer. Plant trees that shed their leave in winter.
6. Shading
Make sure external shading structures are wide enough to block out the sun in summer, whiles still allowing the low winter sun to enter.
7. Thermal mass
Polished concrete, tile or slate floors and brick walls will absorb the heat throughout the day and release it slowly at night, reducing the need to run expensive heaters. Carpet acts as an insulator and will not retain the heat.
Although it's far easier to achieve passive solar energy for homes during the planning stage, you can incorporate many of these elements into an established house without spending a great deal of money or time.
It might be as easy as filling in a few gaps, installing an additional window or moving your living area from the chilly north side of the house to the sunny south side...
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