Passive Solar Design
Why solar design matters to Local Governments
Passive solar design is an important way to take advantage of the sun's energy, but it can be applied on a small scale that local governments can manage within their municipalities. Providing tax cuts to owners of solar-designed homes or requiring solar design in new buildings being constructed are two ways local governments can positively influence their communities to adopt this energy-saving method of design.
The Concept
Solar thermal technology at the most basic level, and most ancient use, is passive solar heating. With passive solar design, homes are constructed to best utilize the free energy from the sun, and in higher latitudes, take advantage of the seasonal position of the sun in the sky—where a building’s windows allow the entrance of direct sun to gain the most heat, while the higher summer elevation would be shaded by an overhang to reflect the heat of the sun.