Passive Solar Techniques for the Home

BuildGreen

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2007-10-16T11:03:03+00:00

false Sunlight can provide ample heat, light, and shade and induce summertime ventilation into the well-designed home. Passive solar design can reduce heating and cooling energy bills, increase spatial vitality, and improve comfort. Inherently flexible passive solar design principles typically accrue energy benefits with low maintenance risks over the life of the building. Passive solar design strategies vary by building location and regional climate, but the basic techniques remain the same—maximize solar heat gain in winter and minimize it in summer. Specific techniques include:<li>Orient the house with the long axis running east/west. </li><li>Select, orient, and size glass to optimize winter heat gain and minimize summer heat gain for the specific climate. Consider selecting different glazings for different sides of the house (exposures). </li><li>Size south-facing overhangs to shade windows in summer and allow solar gain in winter. </li><li>Add thermal mass in walls or floors for heat storage. </li><li>Use natural ventilation to reduce or eliminate cooling needs. </li><li>Use daylight to provide natural lighting. </li><a href="http://www.sbicouncil.org/store/e10.php" target="_blank" title="Energy-10">Energy-10</a> is a PC-based design tool that helps identify the best combination of energy-efficient strategies, including daylighting, passive solar heating, and high-efficiency mechanical systems. Another tool to optimize window area and aid window selection is <a href="http://windows.lbl.gov/software/resfen/resfen.html" target="_blank" title="RESFEN">RESFEN</a>. Access these and other passive solar design tools from the <a href="http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/" target="_blank" title="DOE's Building Technologies website">DOE’s Building Technologies website</a>.

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habit

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Passive Solar Techniques for the Home

2010-01-11T12:40:24+00:00

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