To get the most from your home, think sun. That's right, the sun can heat and cool your home and reduce its energy use. More importantly, the energy from the sun can make your home comfortable year round. There are two types of solar design systems, passive and active. Homes constructed as passive solar design use the natural movement of heat and air to maintain comfortable temperatures, operating with little or no mechanical assistance. It is called passive solar because the design of the home maximizes the benefits it receives from the sun with standard construction features. Passive solar takes advantage of local breezes and landscape features such as shade trees and windbreaks, and uses a simple system to collect and store solar energy with no switches or controls.
On the other hand, active solar systems use mechanical devices such as pumps and fans to move heat from collectors to storage or from storage to use. Photovoltaic panels that collect solar energy, turning it into electricity, are also considered an active solar system. Although, building a passively designed solar home takes careful planning, the task is relatively simple, if you use the five basic solar design principles: Orientation, Overhangs and Shading, Insulation, Windows, and Thermal Mass. Building to take advantage of solar energy need not cost any more than building a comparably sized non-solar conventional home. A home that is properly oriented, tightly constructed, well insulated, and has operable windows for air circulation is both comfortable for the occupants and easy on the wallet. You can call it passive design or just smart construction. Advantage Development Co. is a NAHB Certified Green Professional and understands that building green to saving energy & renewable resources should begin with proper home design utilizing passive solar home design techniques. Call us today at 828-215-9064 or visit us at http://www.advdevco.com/ to learn more about us and why we are better.
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