Home Energy Solutions: February 2008 Archives
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.
This website brings you practical alternatives to traditional energy and fuel products. We will track progress in clean technology resources such as biomass from trees, corn and other agricultural crops to make fuel for our cars, trucks, planes and trains. We will bring you practical sources of these alternative energies.
Alternative energies for buildings make a major impact of personal and business budgets. We bring you the solutions that help you reduce electric bills and replace lighting, heat and air conditioning and ventilation with alternative energy sources from nature: wind, sunshine, water, and even dirt!
Alternative Energy Sources for Homes
Homes have been designed for decades to rely on electricity and natural gas for light as well as heating and cooling. Alternative energy sources for homes include solar panel systems that use the sunlight for both heating water (or fluids) and conversion into electricity using photovoltaics.Our solution website will connect you with information about these fast-growing alternatives and with information about innovative products that will provide you with quality lighting, comfortable room temperatures and efficient use of energy.
Alternative Energy Efficiency for Offices
Offices use energy for lighting, HVAC and manufacturing of paper products, digital equipment, and other office equipment. Task lighting and ambient lighting can be balanced using alternative energy designs and strategies to reduce growing electric bills and reduce the impact on our environment.Our web resource center will help you find creative solutions and practical product sources to make your office energy efficient and green. And that's a sustainable business ROI.
Applications of Renewable Energy and Alternative Energy Product Categories
- green technology, renewable energy, alternative energy, energies, clean energy, biodiesel, wind power, wind energy, solar, solar energy, solar electric, PV, photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind, passive solar, insulation, geothermal technology
- Solar Energy
- Passive Solar Energy
- Thermal Solar Energy
- Wind Energy
- Photovoltaic Solar Energy
- Geothermal Energy
- Natural Light
- Natural Ventilation
- Biomass Energy
- Insulation as Alternative Energy Conservation
