| There are many affordable options to convert | | | | absorb sunlight and convert it into usable |
| your home into a solar home and solar energy | | | | electricity. The energy produced by solar panels |
| technologies can supply for several different uses | | | | must be converted to DC (household power) |
| in your home. Passive solar design can provide | | | | through the use of an inverter. Solar electricity |
| heating, cooling and natural light for your home. | | | | can be used to supplement metered electric |
| Solar electricity options are available to power | | | | already being received by a solar home or with |
| home appliances and solar water heating can | | | | the use of a battery storage bank, can be used |
| provide hot water options for laundry and general | | | | as the only electric source for the home. If the |
| household water use (showers, cooking, cleaning). | | | | later is going to be used, it is suggested that |
| When planning a solar home it is important to | | | | owners of the solar home have a generator |
| consider which energy options are most efficient, | | | | available for backup power. |
| and cost effective for your situation. | | | | Solar water heating is one of the most common |
| A passive solar home utilizes home design to | | | | uses of solar energy in a solar home. There are |
| provide heating, cooling and natural light without | | | | two kinds of solar water heating available for solar |
| the use of any special equipment. A passive solar | | | | home use. The first is a closed loop system, |
| home basically uses the environment to | | | | which can be used in areas that are not prone to |
| accomplish great reductions in energy use. Using | | | | freezing. These systems use water filled tubes |
| construction materials and design to utilize the | | | | that are heated directly by the sun. A closed loop |
| sun's heat during winter months and block the | | | | system uses an anti-freeze type liquid to collect |
| sun's heat during summer months. There are | | | | heat from the sun and then the heated liquid is |
| several passive solar techniques you can use in a | | | | used to heat household water via a heat |
| solar home, direct gain, radiant heat from sunlight | | | | exchanger. |
| passing directly into a living space and being | | | | Regardless of which steps you take toward |
| absorbed by furniture, flooring etc and usually | | | | converting to a solar home, energy efficiency is |
| achieved with south facing window installations, | | | | the most important attribute to a successful solar |
| indirect gain, involving an attached Trombe wall | | | | home operation. Efficiency minimizes the need for |
| that collects heat and distributes it throughout the | | | | heating, cooling and electricity. Using higher |
| home by the use of fans, thermal mass, which | | | | insulation levels, more energy efficient windows, |
| are materials that naturally collect and store heat | | | | appliance and lighting than used in traditional |
| such as brick or stone, and passive cooling, which | | | | construction, you will already be saving yourself a |
| generally includes overhangs for south-facing | | | | lot of money and energy. However these |
| windows to block the sun during summer months | | | | changes may not be an option when converting |
| for cooling the solar home. | | | | an existing home into a solar home, so make any |
| Another feature often found in a solar home is | | | | changes possible to your home energy efficiency |
| the use of solar electricity. Solar electricity is | | | | and adapt other solar practices to convert your |
| generated when photovoltaic cells are used to | | | | existing home into a solar home. |