The advent of passive solar energy trapping and saving tactics has led to the metamorphosis of remarkable passive solar heating and cooling techniques which in turn has proven to be affordable, efficient and energy saves. We present the options that can be incorporated in your new home for that would be a great aid bringing down your electricity bills with ease.
Passive solar heating and cooling is the methodology in which the solar energy is skillfully trapped without making active mechanical equipments and further used for energy consuming activities within a building. While passive solar heating offers the warmth to the interior of a building during the winters, passive solar cooling helps in keeping the interior of the building cool during the hot summers.
Passive solar heating design constitutes the incorporation of either the direct/indirect gain or the isolated gain techniques to heat/cool the targets under consideration.
Keeping the Interiors Hot in winter with Passive Solar Heating Techniques
This is facilitated by having large windows on the southern side of a building which in turn enables the trapping and storing of solar energy with ease. Additionally, the brick wall/water wall, masonry, location and orientation of the building are designed and constructed such that they permit the maximum tapping f the energy of the sun during the day. Other factors that can aid in efficient solar energy trapping includes the use of well insulated walls without windows on the northern side and having relatively smaller windows on the east and the western sides of the building.
The energy thus trapped during the day by the thermal mass of the building is in turn radiated to the interior during the night thereby keeping it warm. In addition to using the radiation technique, convection principle can also be used in such designs by making use of a trapper that traps solar energy and sends the trapped energy to the storage area and vice versa.
Keeping the Interiors Cool in summer with Passive Solar Cooling Techniques
This necessitates the use of sun blinds, deciduous trees or eaves, shutters, curtains and awnings for blocking the entry of sun's rays into the interior of the building during the day, which further avoids the absorption of solar energy.
Ventilation is yet another tactic that can be used to keep the interior of the buildings cool during summer. Vents at a higher level enable hot air to flow out while the vents at lower levels of the building enable the cold air to flow in.
Solar or thermal chimney installation and roof ponds is the couple of other techniques that can be used to keep the interiors cool during hot summers using the technique of passive solar cooling.
With all, passive solar heating and cooling is one of the remarkable tactics that can facilitate a drastic reduction of energy consumption when used with the right combination of other energy saving techniques.
