Tag Archives: Passive
Save Energy with Passive Solar Energy
Passive solar energy is the heat and light your home receives daily – with no effort from you. Harnessing that heat and light and designing homes to suit it, can make a difference in the power you use to heat or cool your home. If you are planning to build your own home in the near future, consider these points before finalising your plans. 1. High ceilings are better for hot climates, as the hot air will rise high enough to keep the lower living areas cool. Low ceilings in colder climates help to keep rooms warmer. 2. Plan most of your windows and door openings to be on the side of the house where they will be more beneficial in terms of heat and light. In hotter regions, you’ll want doors and windows to open onto cool, shady areas that will send cooler air into the house, and in cold regions, you’ll want to let the heat in. 3. Insulate – as much as you can. Ceilings, floors, walls, doors, windows and even electrical outlets can be insulated. Insulation helps to maintain your home’s temperature – keeping heat or cold out or in. 4. A ‘Mudroom’, or separate entrance area allows people to enter or exit without exposing the rest of the house to outside temperatures. 5. Look carefully at where you will need light in each room, and plan windows accordingly. That way you won’t need to switch lights on in the middle of the day. If your house is already built, you can add a few items that will help maintain the indoor temperature without breaking the bank – or the house. 1. Retractable awnings are great for windows and doors that get a lot of sun in summer, and they can be pulled back in winter to help warm the house up. 2. Consider planting tall, deciduous leafy shrubs or small trees in pots near windows and doors. In winter when they lose their leaves the sun will reach in, but in summer they will provide shade and keep the air cool. 3. Insulation can be added to existing homes in ceilings without major work. Check doors and windows for drafts, and insulate them if necessary. 4. Shutters or insulated window coverings can help quite significantly in keeping heat in or out of your home. 5. Paint your roof white – it reflects instead of absorbing the heat of the sun. Most of these tips are meant to heat or cool your home using, or deflecting, the natural energy of the sun. You may still need air-conditioning, fans and heating, but they will work more efficiently, and you’ll need to use them less often. Manipulating solar energy to conserve electricity makes sense. Not only will it save you in power bills, but it is better for the environment. The next step is solar power for your home – and it need not be as expensive as you think. For more information on alternative energy sources, visit http://www.green-community.info/green_products/energy_2_green.php
Passive and Proud: Green Energy Ideas for your Home
Solar energy comes from the sun. A biology class will tell you that in addition to affecting climate and weather, sunlight provides the energy that sustains most life on earth. It also can be harnessed to provide heating, lighting and electricity. Solar power has become a hot topic lately, but this technology is nothing new ? Native Americans, people in China and even the early Greeks have historically turned their buildings to the sun for heat. These early architects were using what is known as passive solar energy. This technique makes the best use of regular building materials to trap heat with no additional mechanical equipment used. Floors, windows and roofs play a role in attracting (or deflecting) the sun’s rays. There are a number of ways to take advantage of solar radiation, starting with the house’s placement. Having the house face the equator (we’ll assume we’re in the Northern Hemisphere, thus the house should face south) means that it gets the day’s sunlight. Window orientation is also important ? for optimal efficiency, most windows should point within 30 degrees of due south. Maintaining a small percentage of north facing windows will ensure that your home is comfortable year round (and not cooking in the summer). Rock or stone tile floors and brick walls will absorb the solar radiation and continue to give off heat after the sun is gone. While common windows allow heat to escape, special windows with low-e coating, multiple panes, inert gas fill, and/or insulated frames can reduce heat loss 50 to 75 per cent. By sealing your building envelope and insulating well, you will ensure that the heat stays in the house. It can then be distributed through the house using a regular ceiling fan. Direct sunlight is not the only important light to think of when considering energy use. By using overall daylight to light a space you can cut down the need for electrical lighting and the heat that’s created by it. Artificial lighting has only been the main source of illumination since the 20th century. And using natural light may have added benefits for your physical and mental health. In addition to windows, daylighting makes use of skylights, light pipes (also known as light tubes), atriums, and light shelves to illuminate the interior. This is best considered when building, but with a few small renos your house can be much brighter, naturally! Passive cooling is another way to cut your bills and become more energy efficient. This is especially useful in warmer climates, where air conditioning can be a major power consumer. Passive cooling refers to using things for shading, to absorb the heat, and goes hand in hand with passive solar energy. It can be accomplished using exterior landscaping choices ? trees and other vegetation ? or interior/exterior building options, such as shades, blinds or special glazing on windows. Whether you are building a new home, looking at doing some renovations or just want to cut your energy bill, passive solar energy and cooling techniques are an easy way to incorporated green ideas into your home. With the rising interest in environmental issues, they make an excellent selling feature and they’ll save you money. This article was produced for Carolyn Gjerde-Tu and the team at Discover Davis Homes. For more information on real estate in Woodland CA, visit Carolyn ? your online source for Davis CA real estate, www.discoverdavishomes.com