Receiving without resistance is the definition of passive. It is also the main component of passive solar energy as a home receives the sun’s energy and does not resist. True passive solar energy means no moving parts…fans, pumps, mechanical or electrical elements are not required. In a solar passive home you will sometimes find fans to help distribute air evenly throughout the building space, but expect it to be solar powered.
Passive solar energy doesn’t even require the help of photovoltaics (PV’s). With careful home design and planning, walls, windows, and floors can be used to collect solar energy in the winter and disperse it effectively. In a basic passive solar design, large south-facing windows are used to collect solar energy as the sun shines on the windows. Then, the heat, or energy, is distributed and stored in concrete, tile, stone, brick, or water, called thermal mass. When it is no longer sunny, the heat stored in the thermal mass is distributed throughout the building via the thermal mass. In the summer, passive solar energy systems are designed to utilize roof overhangs and awnings to reject heat in the summer.
By calculating the best use of the sun’s energy, the Greeks and the Romans created the first passive solar energy designs for their homes…a design still very much in use today.
Even though it made sense to take advantage of passive solar energy all those years ago, it makes even more sense now. The Greeks and Romans were then, as we are today, driven by diminishing resources for fuel and energy. Depending substantially on wood to heat their homes, the nearby forests began to disappear, and using the high intellect known then to exist, they discovered how to take full advantage of solar energy. As originally discovered by the Greeks and Romans, we, too, can eliminate or supplement our need for non-renewable energy sources by taking full advantage of passive solar design.
Passive solar energy is extremely clean. It’s also totally renewable and doesn’t emit greenhouse gases. By design, a passive solar energy home will maintain an even temperature throughout, and generally touted by homeowners as much cleaner and more comfortable than a comparable conventional system.
Passive solar hot water heaters are another way most passive solar home owners further decrease their energy bill, and their reliance on non-renewable resources. There are three basic types of passive solar water heaters: flat-plate, batch heaters, and evacuated tube heaters. Of these, batch heaters are the most prevalent and popular. Perhaps that is because batch heaters are fairly easy projects for the do-it-yourselfer. If you want to build your own, you’ll need to find an electric hot water tank…generally you can purchase either a salvaged one or find one that’s been disposed of in the dump. It will need to be thoroughly cleaned and sealed, and then painted black. Then, add new fittings and pipes to make sure you won’t have leaks later on. Construct a well-insulated plywood box, drill holes for the pipes to fit through, add aluminum foil or other metal for a reflectant, and place the tank inside, fitting the pipes through the holes. Cover the front of the box with glass or plexiglass, seal it, add water, and you’re ready go to. You may want a more detailed explanation, and there are a variety of plans available, but those are the basics.
Batch heaters, sometimes called breadbox heaters because of their design, can be used in stages as well. Utilizing more than one tank, and then taking advantage of the sun’s angle at various times of the day, the home owner can take advantage of the hottest water created by the sun’s rays. Flat plate and evacuated tube are also often found in solar passive homes, but their designs normally call for professional installation, and they can be less effective.
So…still looking for a few more benefits of going solar? Solar energy doesn’t contribute to global warning. Solar energy doesn’t won’t spill into the ocean and create miles and miles of oil slick to kill wildlife, pollute and damage fragile environmental ecosystems. There’s no acid rain, no smog that comes from using solar energy.
Solar energy, perhaps especially passive solar energy, offers so many “pros” it’s difficult sometimes to imagine that we have chosen not to take advantage, and to remain this long in the dark.
Looking to find out all you can about solar passive homes then visit www.HomeSolarPowerExplained.com to find the best advice on home solar power for you.
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