| Receiving a bit of free heating will go a ways with | | | | Sometimes adobe or clay materials work well in |
| bringing down your electric bill, especially with the | | | | situations. With solar homes, you must have |
| life of the equipment. Solar power is the way of | | | | thermal mass within the interior of the home. By |
| getting to this result. It's the process of having | | | | putting brick and tile in places under the windows |
| the home upgraded or constructed in the way to | | | | that get sunlight should work. The thermal mass |
| soak in as much sunlight in the form of heat as | | | | varies depending on your home's heating needs. In |
| possible. Thermal mass must be understood in | | | | areas like Arizona nominal amounts of sun is only |
| order to effectively use solar for heating. | | | | need, however, in colder climates more will be |
| Thermal mass basically is any material that soaks | | | | needed. |
| in and holds onto the energy or heat. Here, we | | | | An area of confusion with thermal materials is |
| are going over the material that holds on to heat | | | | their color. It would seem that the darker the |
| through sunlight and disperses it later when the | | | | material the more heat will be absorbed. However, |
| sunlight isn't hitting it. You may not know but your | | | | this might not be the case in passive solar. The |
| house already has thermal mass producing heat. | | | | material is what makes the difference and not |
| This is because anything that is exposed to the | | | | the color. For example, bricks are able to be |
| sun acts as thermal mass. However, it is for the | | | | almost any color except white. This is a major |
| most part on a small scale. | | | | benefit to avoid making your home interior dark. |
| Usually called intentional thermal mass, a passive | | | | This should give you an understanding of the |
| solar home has the material placed to efficiently | | | | thermal products needed for absorbing heat from |
| to absorb and radiate heat. The materials included | | | | the sun. You should be on your way now to |
| within this are tiles, masonry, and bricks. | | | | constructing your own home solar power. |