Passive House Design and Passive Solar

Passive house design encompasses a comprehensive system.

Solar energy can be collected, stored and distributed by the floors, walls, and windows.

Ideally, the solar heat of the summer will be rejected, while the passive solar heat will help heat the home in the winter.

Primarily, five basic elements are used in Passive design:

Placement and glazing type of windows
Insulation and air tightness;
If needed, heating and cooling systems
Direct gain
Trombe wall or indirect gain and sun space or isolated gain. Depending on the climate, auxiliary systems may be needed for comfort.

Positioning the house in relation to gathering the most sun is of utmost importance.

Typically, the south is the best but western exposures can also be very good for making use of solar heat.

If tile, brick, concrete, or stone is used for flooring, it will retain heat during the daytime and release it slowly at night, thus lowering heating costs.

Tests have showed that colors ranging from basic beige to darker colors retain the most heat.

The primary difference between passive solar design and active solar heating systems is that passive design does not use electrical or mechanical devices to move the heat.

The passive design must use insulation with R-Values of 38-52 on external walls, slab foundations and roofs. Open design is the best design to transfer heat from space to space without using any instrument to force the warm air around.

Airtight construction is important for energy savings, humidity control and ensuring the longevity of the structure.

The home’s landscaping can also contribute to its ease of heating and cooling. Large, deciduous trees and provide shade and insulation during the summer months, while during the winter after the trees lose their leaves, they do not shield the house from gathering the most sun.

As an added bonus, the passive house design affords the opportunity to have a custom-look to a house.

They can be modern or rustic depending on the location. Multiple windows add to the uniqueness of the design.

This makes home in neighborhoods or additions the look of being different not just a cookie-cutter repetition of one another.

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