If you have wanted to start living more off the grid and saving power, have you ever considered passive solar design?
Passive solar design is a technique of using the sun to naturally heat and light up your home or office. This is achieved by using various building features and materials to improve heating and cooling efficiency. The best part about passive solar design is that it is relatively simple to implement, little maintenance is needed, and your home’s market value can increase considerably.
When working out the passive solar potential of your home, you need to consider how it was built and what materials is was built from. The ideal position for your home would be either be on flat land or on a sun-facing slope. Also, in suburban areas, any trees nearby should be deciduous to shade your home in summer, and let through the sunlight in winter.
If you plan to build a new home, make sure it is designed so that the majority of it faces the sun. Also, the size, type and shape of your windows will affect how much sunlight and natural heat your home gets.
So how exactly does your home warm up from the sun? In 3 different ways:
1) Direct – this the heat generated from the sun shining directly on an object.
2) Indirect – when an object with the sun shining on it, radiates heat.
3) Isolated – the hot air that circulates through your home.
The get the most out the the above 3 heat sources, you should try install large windows on the sun-facing side of your home, as this will allow the most sunlight in.
It is pointless building a home that lets in a lot of sunlight during the day is that sunlight cannot be absorbed and used to keep your home warm at night. So inside, you should use materials and fabrics that tend to absorb sunlight and radiate that natural heat for a long time. And in winter, to maximize the use of the sunlight and warmth, try to close cold, dark rooms off from the rest the house, and locate to sunnier, warmer rooms during the day.
During summer, the right length roof overhangs or eaves can be used to control the amount sunlight and heat in your home. The eaves should be wide enough shade out the intense midday sun, but let the let low-angle sunlight through during dusk and dawn to light up and warm the home. Again, the right trees and shrubs can be planted to regulate the house’s seasonal exposure to the sun.
For current buildings, the simplest passive solar design solution is to replace your windows with modern ones, that use various methods to store up 50% more heat. Although they are 10% to 15% more expensive, they pay for themselves in the long-term from all the power saved to heat your home.
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.
What your windows are made from can make a big difference too. While metal framed windows generally conduct heat out the house, wood, vinyl and fiberglass frames insulate the heat better. Always ensure any modern windows bought have labels issued by Energy Star or the National Fenestration Rating Council. These labels provide statistics on how effective and efficient the windows are at retaining heat, which helps you purchase the right windows for your conditions and budget.
To conclude, passive solar design is way of using the sun’s natural light and heat in your home. The whole point behind it is to help reduce your energy needs and resultant costs. So before you go out and implement passive solar design at home, always weigh up the investment required against the potential energy savings.
