Three Issues to Consider when Preparing for Passive Solar Power Systems

One day solar powering of homes will be the norm rather than making the homeowner who uses it look like some sort of Ed Begley, Jr. tree hugging fruitcake. One day, when Big Business learns how to make money off that big yellow thing up there they can't own. Prepare now for the coming day when you use the sun for what it was made for: saving you money. Until that day comes, one of the disadvantages that comes with solar powering your home is not having anyone to commiserate with or turn to learn about common problems. And solar power does come with a selection of common problems you should be aware of. Address the following effectively and your only worry should be about just how efficiently you use the money you save by not being held hostage to big electric or big gas.

Insulation

A home built specifically for the introduction and utilization of solar power is typically going to be one of the tightest in town and absolutely the tightest in the neighborhood. Preparing for using the sun to run the home means that any and all places where air can leak out have been plugged up using caulk, weather-stripping or insulation. To get the most out of the investment in the power source of the future, you need to do an incredibly thorough inspection to look for the smallest of cracks that air can leak through. A newly constructed home built for solar will have tight construction built into the architectural design, but even a new house should be inspected. You may want to seriously consider the value that comes with the addition of storm windows and storm doors as added insular protection. While you are creating a budget for properly insulating a home designed or converted to take advantage of solar power, budget for the most expensive types of caulk and weather-stripping. The best isn't always the most expensive, but you will want to make sure you choose high quality material and it's always better to overestimate costs than get stuck with too little money to provide for your needs.

Ventilation

The result of having such solid protection against leaks is that you then need to address the issue of providing adequate ventilation. This is necessary in order to make sure that fresh air can be introduced to keep away that stale atmosphere that is the result of heavy duty insulation. Another important reason to consider ventilation plans is to successfully cut down on the effort that will be required to cut back on the cooling needs during summer. Solar powered houses can very often become subject to a lack of fresh air so add in some effective circulatory mechanisms when planning ahead for ventilation.

Winter Overheating

Solar power that uses a direct gain system can become an overheating hazard during winter. Since this is the least expensive system for adding passive solar to your house, it is much more likely to become a concern. Direct gain systems are based on the positioning of large windows that face south for more efficient exploitation of the sun's rays for heating purposes. By the middle of the day when the heat is at its peak, this type of solar power can face the potential of overheating due to window surface areas that are too large or not enough thermal storage mass to handle the job. Make sure in the planning stage that the thermal storage mass is going to be situated where it can best capture the radiant energy supplied by the sun. The one thing you want to avoid is the common and ill-advised solution of using something like a carpet or towels to cover the thermal mass in order to reduce the heat. The paradoxical result of this measure is an increase in the chances for overheating.

Sources:

Sustainable Sources Passive Solar Design

New Mexico Solar Energy Assn.