One Step Towards a Healthier World: Passive Solar Design
Solar energy design can be used to achieve comfortable temperatures and light levels through either passive solar design or active solar design. Through passive solar design, the entrance of sunlight in cold conditions is maximized and the entrance in hot weather is reduced. In contrast to active solar design, such as the use of solar panels, passive solar energy simply provides for natural sunlight interactions to generate energy rather than active mechanical systems doing the work.
Passive solar design generally focuses on managing heat gains through the sun’s daily and annual cycles to reduce the operational energy and costs of heating and cooling the air in the building. It is similar to human thermal comfort. It is, however, only one part of a thermally efficient building design, since passive solar design does not relate to factors such as ventilation and other building concepts that must be taken into account.
There are several types of passive solar designs. The first is simply pragmatic thinking. A house can easily achieve 30 percent or better cost reductions in heating expense without making obvious changes to its appearance, comfort or usability. This can be achieved using good sitting and window positioning, small amounts of thermal mass with good but conventional insulation, and occasional extra heat from a central radiator connected to a water heater. In addition, any sunrays that may fall onto a wall during the daytime which help to radiate heat in the evening.
Another passive solar design is known as annualized passive solar. Recent research has developed techniques that capture warm-season solar heat, convey it to a storage mass and still have heat available six months later, during the colder seasons. One possible technique to achieve this is to bury waterproof insulation around the foundation of your house and then bury loops of plastic pipe or ducts under the foundations and slab. The skirts of insulation will prevent heat leaks from weather or water.
Right now, passive solar technology cannot run your entire home. This system is instead used to create a more environment-conscious way of living. A truly green house needs to employ other techniques of alternative energy production as well. Passive solar design is, however, a great place to start, so if you think that these technologies may be right for you and your home, do further research on the topic. Creating an energy-efficient passive solar design home takes hard work and time, but the benefit is that you do not pollute the environment as much, making the world a better place for you and your family.