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Solar house
 A
solar house can use either active solar products and methods or
passive solar products and methods… or both. Active solar
products include solar panels and other products that convert the
sun’s rays into energy. Passive solar technologies do not
use any electrical or mechanical equipment. Here are different examples
of each type of solar house:
Active Solar House
An active solar house uses the sun to run it. Many active solar
houses are completely off the grid – they do not rely on the
power company for their electricity. In other words, they can get
all of the electricity that they need to run their TVs, lights,
heating system, laundry, etc. from the sun. Of course, many of these
homes have generators, just in case. Others stay grid-tied and utilize
net metering (meaning surplus energy they create can be used in
times of deficit, like during the shorter winter days).
Generally, an active solar house will have solar panels set up
on a south-facing, unshaded roof, because this is the area that
will receive the most sun. These solar panels glean energy from
the sun and then either store it in batteries or into the grid.
Solar water heaters, solar pool heaters, and other such devices
are also popular.
Passive Solar House
A passive solar house, on the other hand, is generally built from
the onset to make the most use of the sun (of course, certain passive
solar techniques can be added to already-built homes). For instance,
an Adobe home can be thought of as a solar house. Why? Because the
mud bricks used to build it absorb heat during the day, and then
slowly release the heat during the cold night.
There are other ways that a passive solar house may get heat. For
instance south-facing windows allow the sun to shine in and warm
the walls, floors, and furniture during the winter months. To cool
the house without using energy, overhangs would cover any south-facing
windows, few windows would face the west, trees would be planted
near the home, etc.
All in all, though, if you are trying to decide whether to set
up a passive solar house or an active solar house, consider a combination
of the two. A solar house that utilizes both active and passive
technologies will require very little outside energy, if any. And
if you cannot afford active solar technologies, realize that passive
solar ideas are essentially free – there is no reason not
to utilize them!
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