Every Home is a Solar Home

However, when we ignore solar energy while designing a home or building the end produce is a structure that doesn’t benefit from solar energy, but instead works against it. Buildings design with solar energy in mind will have lower energy bills and will be more comfortable.

Homes that are designed to utilize passive solar energy will often have the longest wall of the house or building facing south. The reason for this is that during the winter the sun raises southeast and sets in the southwest. Passive solar homes will also have more windows on the south wall to ensure the home receives the optimal amount of free solar energy.

This southern orientation will also help to reduce the high summer sun from entering the home, thus keep the cost of cooling the home down. Passive solar homes as well as solar panels work best when they face true south. However, a compass points to magnetic North/South and not true south. An example of this would be El Paso, where true south is 12 degrees East of magnetic South. This magnetic declination from true
south varies depending on longitude.

Landscaping is also important to a passive solar home, as you do not want outbuildings or trees too close to the home, which could block the low winter sun, as well as the warmth and light that it provides. In addition, you also want to plant deciduous or evergreen trees on the west and north sides to act as a buffer against cold winter winds and strong afternoon sun. This is a form of Xeriscape, which is the trademark name a landscaping method that utilizes drought-resistant plants in order to conserve resources, including heat in the winter and provide shade in the
summer.

Color also plays an important part of passive solar energy, as you want to avoid dark colors, both inside as well as outside the home or building. Lighter colors absorb less sunlight and are also more reflective than dark colors. When light energy is absorbed, it is transferred into heat energy. If the material does not have sufficient storage mass, the material can heat up too fast and release the heat into the room, causing the
room to overheat.

Solar energy concepts are not difficult to apply to any home. However, they do take some careful consideration, especially if the home has already been constructed. Yet, with carefully planning, any home can be a solar home.

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