There was a time when people pooh-poohed solar home design as the stuff of science fiction. Today, we see Global Warming, pollution, rising energy costs and depletion of our natural resources, and realize that solar powered house designs are no longer fiction. And, you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to do it either. We can walk you through the process of passive solar home design, and use technology that won’t bust your budget.

There are several key factors to consider in solar home design, especially when going the passive route. Where are you planning to build? What are the wind patterns in your area like, and what’s the terrain? In passive solar house designs you generally use windows and what’s known as thermal mass to help heat and cool your home. By having small windows on the summer side of your home, and large on the winter, you can help keep your dream home comfortable. Thermal mass refers to things like the masonry used in your walls and/or fireplace chimney. In this type of solar home design, the stones absorb heat during the day, and give it off at night; thus your home stays about the same temperature at all times. Here again, positioning your home and the stonework depending on your location is important.

The virtues of passive solar house designs are that they’re simple, require little maintenance, and have few moving parts. In initial costs can also be minimal as only a change in building material is needed. Now, stepping up to a full solar-powered home can entail a lot more work and investment. Yet, some people see it as important to reducing their carbon footprint. Also, if you’re building a rustic mountain home, you may be miles from the nearest utility, and running power out to you can be problematic, at best.

If you want to go fairly low-tech, you can install a solar powered hot water heater. That simple feature can reduce your electric bill quite a bit. If you have a pool, and want it heated as well, there are solar powered pool heaters. Depending on where you, if you have good sun exposure, a full solar home design may work for you. By installing photovoltaic (PV) solar-power panels on your roof, they will convert sunlight directly into electricity. During the optimal times of year, you can completely power your home this way.

In fact, some electric companies will buy the excess electricity that your solar house design generates! Just think, the dials on your electric meter running backwards. Or, you could say: running the right way. Not only can you be proud of having a completely solar powered home, but you’ll actually be helping your community. For some people, that’s a source of great pride.

No matter what kinds of solar home designs you want to use, we can help you work them into any style of home you want. And, if you’re unfamiliar with all the solar-powered technology that’s out there, we can help you pick out the best systems for your dream home.