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Passive Solar Heating Tips for the
Do-It-Yourselfer
Most people understand
that they can save on their energy bills by
using passive solar heating, however, they don’t
realize that they can cut their energy bills
almost in half, saving them money and the
environment as well.
Having a passive solar house requires careful
design, often by an architect with the aid of a
computer and is best for new construction or
major remodeling. This is because in order to be
truly effective a passive solar home should have
larger, insulated windows on south-facing walls
and its thermal mass, such as a concrete slab
floor or a heat-absorbing wall located close to
the windows. However, if you can’t afford to
build a new home or completely remodel your
existing home, the following are a few tips that
you can follow to help you increase your home’s
passive solar heating:
- Ensure that all
south-facing windows are kept clean.
- Keep concrete slab
floors and heat-absorbing walls free from
objects that block the sunlight.
- Install insulating
curtains to reduce heat loss through large
windows at night.
- Consider installing
hydronic radiant floors. However, if you
have an optimum passive designed home, then
there should be no need for radiant heating.
However, if you do use radiant heating
consider solar heating of the water. Make
sure to insulation under the radiant
- Install double pain
windows on southern exposure, and triple
pane or low-E glass on all other windows,
especially north-facing windows.
- If possible, keep
west-facing windows to a minimum. This will
reduce summer overheating. If you have
west-facing windows, then consider
installing high shading coefficient glass or
low-E glass, or the use of reflective
blinds.
- Use landscape to
control wind in the winter and to provide
natural shading in the summer.
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Home: Easy Do It
Yourself Heating
Passive Solar Heating
Tips for the Do-It-Yourselfer
Weathering the High Cost of Heating Your Home
Gas, Oil, Electric, and Solar: Which Heat is
the Best?
Energy Loss is Expensive
Insulation—How Much is Enough?
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