There are many affordable options to convert your home into a solar home and solar energy technologies can supply for several different uses in a solar home.  Passive solar design can provide heating, cooling and natural light for your home.  Solar electricity options are available to power home appliances and solar water heating can provide hot water options for laundry and general household water use (showers, cooking, cleaning).  When planning a solar home it is important to consider which solar energy options are most efficient, and cost effective for your situation.

A passive solar home utilizes home design to provide heating, cooling and natural light without the use of any special equipment.  A passive solar home basically uses the environment to accomplish great reductions in energy use.  A passive solar home uses construction materials and design to utilize the sun’s heat during winter months and block the sun’s heat during summer months.  There are several passive solar techniques you can use in a solar home, direct gain, radiant heat from sunlight passing directly into a living space and being absorbed by furniture, flooring etc and usually achieved with south facing window installations, indirect gain, involving an attached Trombe wall that collects heat and distributes it throughout the home by the use of fans, thermal mass, which are materials that naturally collect and store heat such as brick or stone, and passive cooling, which generally includes overhangs for south-facing windows to block the sun during summer months for cooling the solar home.

Another feature often found in a solar home is the use of solar electricity.  Solar electricity is generated when photovoltaic cells are used to absorb sunlight and convert it into usable electricity.  The energy produced by solar panels must be converted to DC (household power) through the use of an inverter.  Solar electricity can be used to supplement metered electric already being received by a solar home or with the use of a battery storage bank, can be used as the only electric source for the home.  If the later is going to be used, it is suggested that owners of the solar home have a generator available for backup power.

Solar water heating is one of the most common uses of solar energy in a solar home.  There are two kinds of solar water heating available for solar home use.  The first is a closed loop system, which can be used in areas that are not prone to freezing.  These systems use water filled tubes that are heated directly by the sun.  A closed loop system uses an anti-freeze type liquid to collect heat from the sun and then the heated liquid is used to heat household water via a heat exchanger.

Regardless of which steps you take toward converting to a solar home, energy efficiency is the most important attribute to a successful solar home operation.  Energy efficiency minimizes the need for heating, cooling and electricity.  Using higher insulation levels, more energy efficient windows, appliance and lighting than used in traditional construction, you will already be saving yourself a lot of money and energy.  However these changes may not be an option when converting an existing home into a solar home, so make any changes possible to your home energy efficiency and adapt other solar practices to convert your existing home into a solar home.

With all the advances in green energy technology, it is easier than ever to start converting your home into a green energy home.  A green energy home utilizes renewable resources to provide electricity, hot water, heat and peace of mind.

There are several ways to implement your green energy home plan.  The first is solar energy.  In a green energy home you can install solar hot water panels which heat and store water for use and you can install solar panels, which use photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity. These systems can be pricing if purchasing them and having them installed by a professional, but there are many great resources available to build your own solar panels and solar hot water systems that can reduce the cost greatly.

If you are just building your home, a great way to make it a green energy home is to implement passive solar design during construction.  This means taking advantage of south facing sides of the house for heating and cooling.  By installing lots of highly efficient windows and heat retaining bricks and stone on your south facing areas, you are taking advantage of passive solar techniques to develop your green energy home.

Another addition to the green energy home would be a windmill.  Windmills are used to generate electricity from the renewable resource wind.  Windmills can be installed on rooftops or in yards and offer pollution free electric.  Windmills can be purchased from retailers or there are a wide variety of affordable kits available for the motivated do-it-yourselfers to handle the implementation of their own green energy home plans.

If you have a stream on your property, you may also add to the efficiency of your green energy home with hydroelectric power.  This is also a great pollution free option that is easy to maintain and works as long as there is water available.

The ultimate green energy home would combine all of these resources.  By using wind, water and solar to generate electricity you are looking not only at huge savings and possible profits from your electricity usage, but you would truly be green as each of these options contributes little to global warming.  To further combine passive solar design and solar hot water systems, you are reducing your energy needs exponentially and truly living the dream of going green.

A green energy home doesn’t require more maintenance than traditional homes.  Solar technologies require little to no maintenance and wind and water turbines require only regular oiling for peak performance.  There is no better time to create your green energy home and start living your dreams in green.

To truly understand the benefits of green solar energy, you must first understand how solar energy is harnessed.  There are two types of green solar energy-thermal and light.  Thermal energy is considered passive solar.  This type of green solar energy is harnessed through the design and materials used to construct a building.  By integrating south facing windows and materials that retain heat, like brick and stone, you can lower your energy needs and build an energy efficient structure.  The thermal energy produced by green solar energy is also used to heat water for solar hot water systems.  The rays of the sun also produce light and radiation that can be captured by solar panels to create electricity.

The most popular use of green solar energy is for saving money.  Although green solar energy systems can come with a large initial investment, they generally pay for themselves in a few years by providing either supplemental electricity or all of the electricity to your home or business.  Building your own solar panels, participating in government refunds and net metering, in which you sell unused electricity back to the power company, can reduce the cost of implementing a green solar energy system.  In addition, green solar energy systems require little to no maintenance after installation, as most have no moving parts.

The most important benefit of utilizing green solar energy is completely environmental.  With polar ice caps dwindling away and climate changes creating tragic storms world wide, it is increasingly obvious that steps must be taken to decrease global warming and our dependence on fossil fuels.  Green solar energy provides a clean energy alternative as it creates little pollution and does not contribute to global warming.

Green solar energy systems can be used by homes and businesses alike.  If going solar cannot meet all of your energy needs, it can certainly reduce them.  Utilizing green solar energy can save you money, but it’s greatest benefit is to the environment and our future

The sun is the life giving force of our existence.  Solar energy, the light and heat radiated by the sun, is what feeds us, clothes us and provides means for our shelter.  However, renewable solar energy can provide us with much more.  Using renewable solar energy can provide both economic and environmental benefits as well.

Renewable solar energy is an excellent source of electricity.  Rather than dwindling more fossil fuels to feed power plants, we can take advantage of huge savings and electricity by utilizing renewable solar energy.  Renewable solar energies come with very little pollution when they convert electricity from solar panels or thermal devices.  Renewable solar energies do not contribute to the effects of global warming.

Solar energy is a renewable resource.  Yes, there are days when the sun doesn’t shine enough to generate electricity, but there are far more days when the sun is there and not being utilized to power our homes, businesses and workshops.  Once you invest in renewable solar energy, you can save greatly on maintenance costs as most systems have no moving parts and require little upkeep.

By utilizing passive renewable solar energy, you can build a solar home that requires very low energy use.  To use passive renewable solar energy you must include south facing windows in your home design, in combination with products like brick and stone that provide heat radiating thermal mass.  In combination with a solar hot water system and solar electric panels you can take full advantage of renewable solar energy resources.

It is also possible to build your own solar panel and solar hot water systems for your design.  By building your own components you can greatly reduce the time needed to pay for your renewable solar energy system.  Building your own solar energy system also allows you to fully understand the mechanics and physics behind harnessing solar energy.  This can be an educational benefit for all members of the family and building your own systems will lower the cost of your renewable solar energy household by at least half when compared to purchasing the system and having it installed professionally.

Start utilizing the power of the sun and design a plan for your renewable solar energy system.  With research and elbow grease you can be on your way to a lower monthly budget and a more environmentally friendly home or business.  Renewable solar energy is going to be the way of the future and the Earth will thank you.

Review

“An excellent guide for embracing ecologically-friendly living.” — The Bookwatch, February 2003

Passive solar heating and passive cooling?approaches known as natural conditioning?provide comfort throughout the year by reducing, or eliminating, the need for fossil fuel. Yet while heat from sunlight and ventilation from breezes is free for the taking, few modern architects or builders really understand the principles involved. Now Dan Chiras, author o (more…)