Avid A Vision In Design

By Michael Holster

But passive solar heating has other benefits besides saving energy, saving money and saving our planet. A passive solar home has a spatially inviting environment that reconnects with nature. A solar home is the most comfortable because it is bathed in warmth and light. Studies show that, under these conditions, physical, emotional, and mental health are improved, and productivity is increased. People prefer this environment to conventional design and consider it a higher quality living space.

In order to reduce the mystery surrounding modern day passive solar heating design and construction, here are some of the most frequently asked questions and their answers:

What type of passive solar heating design is best?

There are many different design approaches that can be taken to build a successful passive solar heated home. But the following four requirements are pretty basic:

1. The house has an exterior wall that faces south or nearly south to maximize solar gain.
2. During the heating season, heat rays from sunshine are absorbed during the daytime into the structure of the house.
3. At night, the stored heat continues to be released inside the house to keep the occupants warm.
4. During the summer cooling season, sunlight is blocked to prevent excess heat from entering the house.
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Tags: green building, solar

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 8th, 2008 at 4:32 pm and is filed under Green.
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