How to Save Money With Passive Solar
Passive solar is a way to use the sun for most of a building's heating and cooling needs. The most efficient way to save money with this method is to build a new house using passive solar principles. However, if you're not in the market to rebuild, you can still do a passive solar retrofit. There are many things you can do to reduce heat in the summer and increase it in the winter.
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Instructions
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Create a map of your home's floor plan. You can use the survey documents that you received when you purchased your home as a guide. Mark all doors and windows on your drawing. Find which direction is north on your home. Cut and paste the drawing onto another piece of paper so that the north side of the house is facing upward.
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Determine which wall of your home is facing south. For best results, your house should have a long south wall with large windows. The wall can be facing somewhat southeast or southwest. However, if the angle of the wall is more than 30 degrees to the southern sun, the efficiency of your passive solar system may be reduced. Your home should also either have no windows or high efficiency windows on the north side. Passive solar works best in homes with large areas of thermal mass, such as concrete foundations and brick walls.
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Figure out what you energy needs are. People living in hot southern climates will need cooling in the summer most of all. However, those living in frosty northern areas will need to focus on heating the home during the winter.
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Plant deciduous trees on the south, east and west sides of your home. This step is most important if you live in a region with very hot summers and mild winters. The trees will block solar energy from entering the home during the summer months. When the leaves fall off the trees in the winter, the sun will have a clear path to warm the building. Remove or transplant evergreen trees to the north side of the house.
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Install ventilated, removable awnings over east-, west- and south-facing windows. The awnings will block the sun's rays during the summer. Take the awnings down in the fall when the days start getting shorter and colder.
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Install low-emissivity (low-e) double-glazed windows or have low-e window film installed on your windows. Choose high solar gain windows for cold climates and moderate solar gain windows for areas with both heating and cooling needs. Use low solar gain windows for areas with very hot summers and relatively warm winters.
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Add a sunroom or greenhouse on the southern side of the house. Sunrooms in northern climates should have overhead glass to maximize heat gain in the winter. However, people living in hotter climates should favor a sunroom with a roof or awning to block the summer sun. Also make sure that the sunroom is adequately ventilated to prevent the buildup of excess heat.
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Install a passive solar water heater on the roof. This type of water heater gets its heat directly from the sun. The device requires special insulation, so consider having it professionally installed. Passive solar water heaters are most cost effective in hot climates.
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Tips & Warnings
Passive solar homes cost about the same to build as a traditional custom home. You can purchase blueprints for your passive solar house or hire an architect to design one for you.
Replacing windows is not as cost-effective as other methods of increasing energy efficiency. Make sure you've exhausted your inexpensive options before you make a major purchase.
