Saving Power With Passive Solar Design

Passive solar design is one of the simplest ways to improve your home's value and save electricity at the same time.

Passive solar design is a clever way of using the sun's natural heat and light energy in your home. An example is the use of different building designs and materials to effectively cool and heat your home. What's so appealing about passive solar design is that it requires little upkeep, it is easy to setup, it improves the value of your home, and you can benefit from tax breaks.

How your home was built and what is what built from play a big part in determining its passive solar potential. Ideally it should be built either on a sun-facing slope or on flat land. And if you live in a residential area, any trees surrounding your home should be deciduous to let through sunlight in winter, but shade your home in summer.

When constructing a new home, make sure it is built so that the length of the house faces the sun, allowing the maximum amount of sunlight. Also note how the size, shape and placement of windows will determine the amount of natural heat and light in your home.

So how exactly does your home warm up from the sun? In 3 different ways:

1) Direct gain - direct heat from the sun shining on a surface.

2) Indirect - when an object with the sun shining on it, radiates heat.

3) Isolated gain - determined by the airflow in your home.

To ensure the most natural heat from the above three sources, a number of large windows should be placed on the sun-facing side of your home, allowing maximum sunlight in.

But there is no point designing your home to let in a lot of natural sunlight and warmth if that energy cannot be stored for later use. Ideally you would want to use materials that absorb sunlight and radiate that heat for a long time. In winter, to get the most out of the natural heat in your home, you could close off cold, unused rooms from the rest of the house, and sit in the sunnier, warmer rooms during the day.

To control how much sunlight and heat enters your home in summer, you could install roof overhangs. They should be the right breadth to block out the hot midday sun, but let in low-angle, weaker sunlight too. And do not forget to use the right foliage and trees in your garden to control how much seasonal sunlight enters your home.

To make your current home more energy efficient, an easy way would to get the latest windows that can retain up to 50% more heat. Than can cost up to 15% more than traditional windows, but they will save you a lot of energy and money in the long-run.

Double-glazed or Low-emissivity (Low-E) windows let solar heat in, but keep in the indoor radiant heat. Another way to reduce heat loss is to ensure tight seals around all windows or by using multiple panes that have gaps between them filled with argon or krypton gas.

The type of windows frames you use can also make a huge difference. Metal frames should be avoided since they draw heat out of your home in winter, but heat up your home in summer. It is better to use wooden, vinyl or fiberglass frames to insulate your home better. When you do buy modern windows make sure they are labeled by the National Fenestration Rating Council or by Energy Star. That way you will be able to buy the right windows for your needs and budget.

So you can see, passive solar design is the effective use of nature and physics to maximize the use of the sun's natural lighting and heat. Always remember, the point of solar passive design is to reduce your electricity usage and bills. So it is recommended to always weigh up the costs against the potential power savings when installing any passive solar solution at home.

Tags: solutions of global warming, the great global warming swindle, global warming pictures, global warming be prevented, global warming cartoons, ways to prevent global warming, global warming and canada