Build a Solar Home and Let the Sunshine In

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No one knows for sure how fast fuel prices will increase. But whatever happens, passive solar clearly makes fantastic sense from a financial standpoint. And the bonus is the environmental benefit of reduced air pollution. Coleman estimates that compared to the average home, her 2,100-square-foot solar home—with its average heating or cooling costs of $12 per month will save 574,410 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over 30 years.

Solar Homes Tour

More than 800 solar homes will be showcased on October 5, 2002, as the American Solar Energy Society hosts the 2002 National Tour of Solar Homes.

On the ASES tour, homeowners and businesspeople will explain how their photovoltaic and passive-solar systems work, and how solar energy can maximize your home's energy efficiency and cut your water heating bills. For a tour near you, visit the ASES Web site at www.ases.org or call (303) 443-3130.

To harvest free energy from the sun, just orient the long side of the house to the south, add more windows to the south side and pay attention to overhangs, as we've shown for this conventional ranch house (above) and colonial-style home (at right)

SOLAR DESIGN BASICS

Here are the basic principles to follow in designing a new or remodeled passive solar home:

1. Choose a site that receives south sun during winter. Obstructions to the south of the site, such as tall evergreen trees, buildings or hillsides, need to be kept at least 1.7 times their height away from the home. When in doubt, visit the site around December 21, when the sun is the lowest in the sky. The site should receive full sun from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

If you're choosing to build on a small lot, select one that is deep from north to south, to ensure good solar access. Locating the house's septic drainage field within the solar access zone is another strategy for maintaining good solar access, since that area will need to be kept clear of trees and shrubs, which would otherwise block the southern sun.

2. Choose a home design with few projections below the roof line and no porches on the south. Projections shade adjacent windows; porches on the south prevent the sun from entering. Porches on the east and west can be beneficial by shading windows from the hot summer sun.

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