Passive Solar Solutions for Light, Heat, Ventilation, and Beauty!
THE PROBLEM: Reduce use and cost of expensive energy!
PASSIVE SOLAR SOLUTIONS -- In our focus on energy and renewable sources of energy -- and climate change, etc. we sometimes forget the simplest solutions to the problems of everyday living and working. The sun!
The sun provides a wide variety of solutions to everyday challenges and problems. Bright sun during the day wakes us up and energizes us. It gives us vitamin D directly -- and other foods through plants and animals. It provides light. It provides warmth...of air, water and soil. Sunlight also helps stir breezes.
In most U.S. climates, passive solar design techniques can significantly reduce heating requirements for residential and small commercial buildings. "Passive" means that no moving part, no photovoltaic cells, etc. are needed. You just provide for the static use of sunlight with things like windows, shades and drapes, rock floors, and overhangs.
All of these attributes of sunshine can be applied to buildings and landscapes to create beautiful spaces that provide comfortable work and living space.
WINDOWS positioned, shaped and sized for practical efficiency, provide light and ventilation.
SOLAR TUBES siphon light down from the roof into dark corners, hallways, attics, and rooms.
OVERHANGS on the South side of a building manages light -- rooms receive low, horizontal beams during the winter months, and those overhead beams of summer are shaded to light the room, but keep the heat out.
THERMAL MASS can store the heat of sunlight during the day to be released at night.
COLORS -- LIGHT COLORS can be used to reflect light, and DARK COLORS to absorb it and capture heat.
Passive Solar Design of buildings is an age-old practice. Today's architects and engineers are refining passive solar techniques to maximize efficiency and reduce problems such as too much, or too little light, leaks and managing storage of the energy.
The US Department of Energy's website for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy provides a Building Toolbox for Passive Solar Design. Check out the topics including:
New construction offers the greatest opportunity for incorporating passive solar design, but any renovation or addition to a building envelope also offers opportunities for integration of passive methods. It is important to include passive solar as early as possible in the site planning and design process, or when the addition or building is first conceived.
PASSIVE SOLAR SOLUTIONS -- In our focus on energy and renewable sources of energy -- and climate change, etc. we sometimes forget the simplest solutions to the problems of everyday living and working. The sun!
The sun provides a wide variety of solutions to everyday challenges and problems. Bright sun during the day wakes us up and energizes us. It gives us vitamin D directly -- and other foods through plants and animals. It provides light. It provides warmth...of air, water and soil. Sunlight also helps stir breezes.
In most U.S. climates, passive solar design techniques can significantly reduce heating requirements for residential and small commercial buildings. "Passive" means that no moving part, no photovoltaic cells, etc. are needed. You just provide for the static use of sunlight with things like windows, shades and drapes, rock floors, and overhangs.
All of these attributes of sunshine can be applied to buildings and landscapes to create beautiful spaces that provide comfortable work and living space.
WINDOWS positioned, shaped and sized for practical efficiency, provide light and ventilation.
SOLAR TUBES siphon light down from the roof into dark corners, hallways, attics, and rooms.
OVERHANGS on the South side of a building manages light -- rooms receive low, horizontal beams during the winter months, and those overhead beams of summer are shaded to light the room, but keep the heat out.
THERMAL MASS can store the heat of sunlight during the day to be released at night.
COLORS -- LIGHT COLORS can be used to reflect light, and DARK COLORS to absorb it and capture heat.
Passive Solar Design of buildings is an age-old practice. Today's architects and engineers are refining passive solar techniques to maximize efficiency and reduce problems such as too much, or too little light, leaks and managing storage of the energy.
The US Department of Energy's website for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy provides a Building Toolbox for Passive Solar Design. Check out the topics including:
- Passive Solar Heating
- Passive Solar Cooling
- Thermal Storage
- Daylighting
New construction offers the greatest opportunity for incorporating passive solar design, but any renovation or addition to a building envelope also offers opportunities for integration of passive methods. It is important to include passive solar as early as possible in the site planning and design process, or when the addition or building is first conceived.
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