What is Passive Solar? – find out in two short videos:
Below are two images with links to video animations that show, in a nutshell, how passive solar building design works both in winter and summer to save on utilities. During the winter, as the sun rides lower in the sky, the sun bathes walls facing southwest, south, and southeast in light – to warm the home throughout the day.
Illustration 1: Winter, Monty Residence, Clarksdale, Miss.
The same south-facing home can be sheltered from the summer sun with sheltering overhangs. This reduces heat build-up during the day, and shifts the peak cooling load to later in the evening as the sun is going down. The air-conditioning savings can be dramatic.
Illustration 2: Summer, Monty Residence, Clarksdale, Miss.
If your home doesn’t face approximately south, it’s o.k.. There are other passive solar options. Contact Sustainable Architecture PLLC for ideas.
