Environmentalists and the media are enamored with the idea of renewable technology. Solar technology, in particular, has exciting possibilities. But, with a bit more research, two major problems with solar tech solutions quickly become evident.

• Most of these solar energy options are too expensive without significant government subsidies.

• Individual homeowners and homeowners’ associations often view these solutions as unsightly in traditional neighborhoods.

While many homeowners might be interested in reducing the amount of energy they buy from their local utility by installing solar panels on their roofs, it is often less enticing when they determine that their costs might not be recouped within an acceptable timeframe.

This is where government subsidies can change the “break-even” point in the equation.

But that begs the question — Do we, as a society, want the government to continue to pick winners and losers in the energy world?

A proven winner that can save a homeowner money immediately is a seemingly old-fashioned idea - passive solar. Passive solar is most easily incorporated into new construction.  Existing buildings, however, can also be  retrofitted to passively collect and store solar heat.

The U.S. Department of Energy sets out a general outline of the five elements of passive solar home design, summarized as follows:

• Aperture  or Collector - A large glass window through which sunlight enters the building. The aperture should face within 30 degrees of true south and should not be shaded from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day during the heating season.

• Absorber - A hard, dark surface that serves as the storage element. The absorber, which may be a masonry wall, floor, or partition, or a water container, sits in the direct path of sunlight. Sunlight that hits the surface is absorbed as heat.

• Thermal mass - Materials that retain the heat produced by sunlight. The thermal mass is the material below or behind the surface of the absorber.

• Distribution - The method by which collected solar heat circulates throughout the house. A passive design uses three natural heat transfer modes  - conduction, convection and radiation. Fans, ducts and blowers can aid the distribution of heat to different parts of the house.

• Control - During summer months, roof overhangs, awnings and blinds can be used to shade the aperture.

http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/designing_remodeling/index.cfm/mytopic=10270

These DOE guidelines are a helpful starting point, but they are merely a general overview. A successful passive solar design requires a detailed and careful analysis of the site, region and climate. Passive solar designs for the Southwest will differ from the Southeast and likewise, a design for the Northeast will differ from the Mountain states.

While passive solar design may seem, at first, to be an old-fashioned technology, it does not lead to an old-fashioned house or unsightly additions. Far from it.

Randy Schwartz, a Georgia Tech-trained architect and builder, and his company Buildynamic, have used passive solar techniques to create spectacular living spaces.

Careful attention is paid to the house’s orientation and also to vegetation, ventilation, insulation, strategic use of materials, placement of openings and building techniques.

While energy considerations are obviously the key element in designing a passive solar house, as Randy Schwartz has shown, they can be incorporated in a dramatic way that creates a very special house for a special site.

Although passive solar may not be a dramatic new technology, its wise use can yield dramatic results in energy conservation and design - appealing to both the homeowner’s budget and the neighborhood.

Further reading:

http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/designing_remodeling/index.cfm/mytopic=10250

http://buildynamic.com/

Photos:  http://buildynamic.com/

Illustration: DOE http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/designing_remodeling/index.cfm/mytopic=10270

Copyright 2010 - K.J.Collins