Solar Home
Huge amounts of radiant energy from the sun constantly fall on the surface of our planet. How can this energy be harnessed to help make a home that is warm and comfortable in all seasons?
Heating a home with solar energy means making the best use of available sunlight. To provide warmth, large windows are placed on the south side of the house to trap sunlight, while northfacing walls have good insulation and few windows. On the roof, solar collectors absorb energy from the sun's rays to heat water, while solar panels convert the sun's energy to electrical energy for use in household appliances. Highquality insulation is used in all outside walls to reduce heat lost through convection, conduction, and radiation. But because the sun does not shine continuously, solar-heated homes also use energy from conventional sources to keep the home heated day and night, year-round.