Passive Solar Power

Make your home a passive solar house by manipulating the sun's heat and light rays to fall where you want them.

Solar energy is available for the collecting and there are numerous ways of using it that cost little to implement and reduce not only your costs but your contribution to harmful emissions.

Combine simple passive techniques with some energy saving tips and you can reduce your energy bill by more than half...permanently.

Hey, the sun's going to shine whether we choose to use the passive solar power it provides or not. Many of our tips can be utilized on an existing home and if you're building a home or selecting a lot you're in a great position to make some decisions that will save you thousands of dollars over your home's lifetime.

The cost of making use of passive solar energy when building your home is about the same as if you don't but in the long term a passive solar house will save you big bucks without any further effort on your part.

For more specific and in depth information on a passive solar house depending on your location visit our pages on:

• Passive Solar Energy in a cold environment.


• Passive Solar Power for hot climates.


• Passive Solar Info

Here are some of our favorite methods of using passive solar energy.

• 1. Plan window and door openings to be most abundant on the side of the house where they are the most beneficial. In hot climates minimize the openings on the sunniest side of the house and in cold climates maximize them to allow the sun plenty of access.
  


• 2. Place awnings and leafy deciduous plantings around windows and doorways. Using trees, pots and trellises you can create a seasonal barrier to discourage the heat of the sun from intruding into the household during the hottest times of the year.
  


• 3. Insulation, insulation, insulation. You'll get more bang for your buck by reinforcing your insulation in ceilings, walls, floors, around doors, windows and electrical outlets than by most of the other methods combined. Try INSULADD Insulating House Paints and Additives.
  


• 4. High ceilings are best in hot climates and low ceilings in cold climates.
  


• 5. Mudrooms and separate entry areas prevent the intrusion of hot or cold air into your home's interior when the door is opened.
  


• 6. Shutters or insulated window coverings can play a significant role whether you are attempting to keep heat in or out of your home.
  

Depending on whether you reside in a hot or cold climate you'll adopt different passive solar power techniques. More in depth information can be found on our pages devoted toPassive Solar Energy in a cold environment.
and Passive Solar Power for hot climates.


To further reduce your home's energy consumption check out our tips for every day energy conservation.

Consider straw bale construction, rammed earth techniques, underground dwellings or other super energy efficient house designs when building your home. The high insulation factor in these types of homes keeps the inside temperature relatively constant. These building methods require significantly less energy to keep your living space at a desired temperature.
Add a solar array and/or a wind generator to a passive solar house and you'll have created a comfortable home that will save you money and the earth from a footprint.