Minimizing Energy by Using Passive Solar Systems

1010 Words3 Pages

A Passive solar system collects heat as the sun shines through the windows and is stored on thermal mass. It uses the sun’s energy for heating or cooling buildings. Future homes should be constructed with this system because its advantages outweigh its drawbacks with low emissions of CO2 or other pollutant, consists of little maintenance, and has positive long term effects such as low electric bills.
This system releases low emissions of CO2 or any other pollutant because it takes advantage of a structure’s climate, site, and materials to minimize energy use. Solar passive design integrate a combination of building features to reduce or even eliminate the need for mechanical cooling, heating or daytime artificial lighting. Windows that collect solar energy are faced within 30 degrees of the south and should be shaded during summer to avoid overheating. However, during the winter the windows cannot be shaded as said in the online article (Passive Solar Home Design). Heat is stored on thermal mass, typically bricks, tiles, stones, masonry, or water; this prevents rapid temperature shifts, and absorbs heat from sunlight in the winter and from warm air in the house during the summer. The heat flow is natural and does not require the use of mechanical equipment. Heat is transferred to different areas of the house through conduction, which occurs when heat moves between two objects that are in direct contact with each other. Also, convection, which is transferred through a fluid; this can be air or water. As well as thermal radiation, this is a process by which energy is emitted by a heated surface and travels to its point of absorption ; this is explained in the online article (Passive solar design). By protecting t...

... middle of paper ...

...hop. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/buildings/passive-heating
Passive Solar Design. (n.d.). Passive Solar Design. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from http://passivesolar.sustainablesources.com
Passive Solar Design Primer. (n.d.). Passive Solar Design Primer. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from http://www.nmsea.org/Passive_Solar/Passive_Solar_Design.htm
Passive Solar Heating. (n.d.). WBDG. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from http://www.wbdg.org/resources/psheating.php
Passive Solar Heating in Built Environment. (n.d.). Passive Solar Heating in Built Environment. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from http://www.springerreference.com/docs/html/chapterdbid/301267.html
Passive Solar Home Design. (n.d.). Energy.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/passive-solar-home-design

Show More
Related

  • Case Study A New Norris House

    635 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... the sun isn’t as high up in the sky. Large open spaces and a covered loft promote stack ventilation which also further increase the comfort zone. A mud room/hallway doubles as an airlock during extreme temperature months. The addition of active systems suffices for the rest of the heating load. On the roof positioned is a solar hot water panel which has access to solar gain. A small tankless electric water heater boosts stored hot water temperatures when needed. The ultimate goal is to simply reduce energy use by half of what the average household uses. The equipment chosen is an Eemax Electric Tankless Hot Water Heater. A solar hot water panel mounted on the dormer heats water through glycol exchange. A tankless electric hot water heater 1) boosts the solarheated stored water if it is below desired temps and 2) provides back up water heating during cloudy periods.

    Read More

  • Chesapeake Bay

    1367 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Solar & Wind Energy Calculations: The (very) Basics." Solar-estimate.org. Solar-Estimate, 2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

    Read More

  • Developing Solar Power in Canada

    1432 Words  | 3 Pages

    Solar energy is energy taken from the light that reaches earth's surface from the sun. There are four different kinds of solar energy, which are active solar systems, passive solar systems, photovoltaic cells and concentrating power systems. An active solar systems is a system that captures solar energy by mechanical means. Common active solar systems are often in buildings or homes. Some examples are roof collectors and water heating. Low Intensity and high variability have limited the use of active solar energy in Canada. A pass...

    Read More

  • Informative Essay On Sauna Heaters

    504 Words  | 2 Pages

    It will be interesting to see if solar panel saunas are a thing of the future or if they will be developed to efficiently in our homes of the present. If power can be collected by the energy of the sun and then used to heat our home sauna then it will be a great energy saver.

    Read More

  • Solar Oven Invention

    1553 Words  | 4 Pages

    "solarpowerpanels.ws - Solar panels Resources and Information. This website is for sale!." solarpowerpanels.ws - Solar panels Resources and Information. This website is for sale!. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. .

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Solar Energy

    1122 Words  | 3 Pages

    The sun has been a major aspect of life since the beginning of time. People used many other forms of energy before electricity was discovered. There has been a debate over energy resources for years. Many people are worried about what current energy resources may be doing to the environment. Oil spills and nuclear power plant mishaps have only been a few accidents that have had a big impact on the environment and the people who inhabit it. There are plenty of energy sources that do not harm the environment and are still able to get the job done. Solar energy is one energy alternative that will insure the betterment of the country and, at the same time, protect the natural environment.

    Read More

  • Key Factors Of Passive Solar Design

    846 Words  | 2 Pages

    In passive solar design, the vertical and horizontal surfaces control the heat transfer; in winters collect and distribute solar heat and dissipate heat in summer. Passive solar techniques utilize solar energy through direct or indirect solar gain to achieve environmental comfort in the building. The key factors in passive solar building design are: site planning and design; thermal mass; solar geometry; ventilation and vegetation.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Speech: Solar Power

    1587 Words  | 4 Pages

    Rotman, David. "Finding a Solar Solution." Technology Review 2 (2012): 48-51. Print. 22 November 2014.

    Read More

  • Solar Thermal Energy

    1314 Words  | 3 Pages

    Solar thermal energy is dead! A solar thermal heating system can cost upwards of $7,000 to install and it most likely won't even save you too much money. This is why many people debate over whether they should use a solar thermal water heating system, because they think they are saving money, or an inexpensive traditional water heating system. A traditional heating system is a system that is powered off of electricity, gas, oil or some other fuel. A solar thermal heating system uses the energy from the sun, hence “solar”, and it turns that energy into hot water to either heat a home or to provide domestic hot water. The energy from the sun is captured by energy collectors, also known as solar panels. The water is heated inside the panels and then distributed throughout the home for use or stored in a tank for later use. The ideas behind this sound great, but in reality that is not the case.Solar thermal energy is not the best choice for home heating a home or hot water heating.

    Read More

  • Solar Panels At My House

    852 Words  | 2 Pages

    When picking an energy resource for the topic of this paper, I bounced around a lot of ideas. Then it occurred to me that I should write about what I will be living with in about a month. My mom just finished designing and building our earthbag, solar, off-grid house, a four-year endeavor. I will soon live in a place powered by one of the most common alternative energy resources, solar energy, so I should learn more about it. At our new house, we have two stand alone pedestals with six 170W panels on each pedestal, making for a 2040W or 2kW solar system.

    Read More

  • Compare and Contrast of Nuclear Energy and Alternative Energy

    1351 Words  | 3 Pages

    How Efficient is Solar Energy Technology? Engineering Challenges. n. d. a. d. a. d. d. 8 April 2014. http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/8996/9082.aspx>. How do Nuclear Plants Work?”

    Read More

  • Essay On Solar Collector

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    Solar collectors are special type of heat exchangers that transform solar radiation energy into thermal energy. The key component of all solar system is the solar collector. This is a device which absorbs the solar radiation from sun converts into heat and transfers this heat to a fluid ( air, water, oil ) passes through the collector. The solar energy collected is carried from the circulating fluid either directly to the hot water or to a thermal energy storage tank from which can be utilized for use at night or cloudy days.

    Read More

  • The Benefits of Hot Water Heaters

    1028 Words  | 3 Pages

    Solar water heaters work by using energy from the sun. There are two types of systems for solar water heaters, an open system and a closed system (“Tapping into the Sun”). These systems depend on the type of climates they are installed in (“Tapping into the Sun”). Open systems are worth the installation if the weather is year round sunny, closed systems are better if the weather gets cold. The water cannot be run during winter so the system will be switched to fuel and in the summertime when it is warm, so the sy...

    Read More

  • Solar Power: The Future of Energy

    1447 Words  | 3 Pages

    I am certain that all have heard of the terms green house gases, fossil fuels, and global warming. Have you ever questioned what will happen if nothing is done about the environmental problems facing the world today? What if I answer you that, we can merely use the power from the sun to power up our entire planet without the use of harmful energy sources, which affect our atmosphere? The power from the sun is what we call solar power. Solar power is the energy that comes from the sun as light and heat energy, and then it is later converted into electrical energy through solar panels (Nelson, 2008). This kind of power is completely free, right? Why should we put a lot of expense on other sources of energy, when there is a complete free and healthy power? It is evident that solar energy is a healthy source of energy, which will help stop global warming all together, but it is economically efficient to switch everything to solar energy. Solar energy is capable of becoming the world's future power supply because, it is renewable, eco-friendly, and extremely efficient when strategically placed.

    Read More

  • Solar Energy Essay

    1263 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Earth captures around 342 W/m2 of energy from the sun. This energy is in the form of solar radiation, which the atmosphere reflects about 77 W/m2 and will absorb around 68 W/m2 of solar radiation annually. Therefore, the Earth’s surface is receiving, on average, about 197 W/m2 of solar radiation annually. This amount of energy received is roughly more than 10,000 times the amount of all energy humans consume per year. This energy can be used to produce electricity or heat. This energy source is not being used to it’s potential considering how much effort would come into effect to store and transport this energy.

    Read More

More about Minimizing Energy by Using Passive Solar Systems

Open Document