How Popular Are Solar Passive Homes?

Let's start out with what a solar passive home is.our current knowledge and available tools to guide
A solar passive home is one that is designed tothe homebuilder, the average "Joe" can design a
maintain heat, and light, at a comfortablepassive solar structure. As interest is picking up,
temperature throughout the day (and night) andyou can find an increasing number of available
throughout the year using the building design inblueprints for passive solar homes, as well as
concert with the sun as the primary powerprefabs.
source. It is estimated that a good passive homeEurope, experiencing the price increase of
design can cut heating energy consumption by upnon-renewable energy much earlier, has built
to 90%.thousands of solar passive homes in recent years
Solar passive homes are well insulated and airand may well lead the global drive to reduce fossil
tight. By design, they work with natural resourcesfuel dependence, along with our burgeoning
to capture and apply free solar energy efficiently,environmental footprint.
and utilize as few active systems as possible toAlthough nowhere near Europe currently in terms
generate power.of solar option popularity, the United States is, in
Currently the U. S. Energy Informationfact, making strides. According to a recent Solar
Administration says that buildings are responsibleEnergy Industries Association news release:
for 48% of all greenhouse gas emissions"The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
annually...and...76% of all the electrical powertoday released the 2009 U.S. Solar Industry Year
generated is for buildings.in Review, finding 2009 to be another year of
Imagine what would happen if all new homes, andstrong growth despite the economic recession.
other buildings built, were planned to maximizeOverall U.S. solar electric capacity, including both
solar passive design. What a reduction in ourphotovoltaic and concentrating solar power
carbon footprint that would be. As it is, solarinstallations, increased by 37 percent. This was
passive homes are not being built in massivedriven primarily by strong demand in the
numbers across the United States, althoughresidential and utility-scale markets, state and
Ecohome magazine reports that "retrofits, solarfederal policy advances and declining technology
power and water conservation [are] seen asprices. As a result, total solar industry revenue
some of the top issues this year."reached $4 billion, a 36 percent increase over
With fossil fuels still relatively cheap in the United2008." What this says bodes well for the solar
States, many homeowners have eschewed solarindustry...and home owners and builders who want
alternatives in favor of lower-priced options.to move to "greener" buildings, particularly passive
However, with an added construction cost of onlysolar.
5 to 10 percent, and energy costs of oil, gas andWhile the United States may not be keeping up
coal rising rapidly, passive solar homes will soon bewith its European counterpart in passive solar
the lower-priced option.construction, there is no doubt the interest is
Further, there remains a certain belief systemheating up. The number of "green builders" listed in
that lingers from the 1970's, when passive solarcities and towns across the United States is
was first suggested in the United States, that ingrowing rapidly. With a national commitment to
order to build a passive solar home you not onlyreduce greenhouse emissions, combined with
need an architect, but a solar engineer to do thecontinually escalating non-renewable energy costs,
calculations, then create a solar design tothere is no question solar passive homes will
implement within the architect's building plans.become increasingly popular in the United States.
Fortunately that's no longer the case, and withIt just makes sense.