What are passive solar houses?

Passive solar houses are houses that are designed to use solar heat in winter that efficiently heat the house without the use of electricity or mechanical devices. The passive solar house also reflects solar heat during the summer. The houses are built using a combination of thermal materials and room patterns that promote the natural movement of heated air. The windows that face winter sun and overhangs that protect the windows from the summer sun are other strategic tools. The houses designed in this way have lower heating and cooling costs.

There are five main elements for passive solar houses: collectors, absorbers, thermal materials, natural distribution and control. These five elements cooperate on the collection and storage of heat from the Sun. A simplified explanation helps to understand the principles of passive solar construction.

The sunlight enters through a collector such as a window. Sunlight hits the inner wall, absorber.Absorber transmits heat by means of conductivity to the materialinside the wall. Material in the wall, thermal mass, holds heat.

When the house cools in the evening, warm thermal mass releases heat into colder air. The larger the thermal mass, the more heat is released. Warm air rises as the radiator air drops. The combination of holes, blinds and structural elements helps to move heated air and distribute it throughout the house. The awnings, overhangs and lowamive coatings on the windows keep the house in the cold in the summer.

Passive solar houses are built with most windows facing winter sun. The cabinets and storage spaces are located on the opposite side to help secure the cache from the cold. The houses are made of building materials that have a high thermal mass. Materials with high thermal material include brick, stone and concrete. Water is an exceptionally high -quality thermal weight and some passive solar houses include containing containersery water.

Several building elements are incorporated into passive solar houses to increase heat gain. Sunroom or solar spaces are built on the side of the house that receives the most sun. These rooms are built of glass or plastic and during the day they collect a large amount of heat that are easily released into the house by opening the connecting door at night. Trombe walls are thick inner walls made of high thermal material. These walls are strategically built into the solar house where they receive a large amount of sunlight.

Passive solar houses have many advantages. They have lower electricity costs due to reduced heating and air conditioning requirements and have higher values ​​of additional sales. The houses are quieter than traditionally built houses due to increased insulation, denser building materials and the absence of humming and air conditioning.