Passive Solar Roof Design

Natural convection and ventilation.

Passive solar roof design.

In addition the heat produced by the sun causes air movement that can be predictable in designed spaces. These homes require much less fossil fuel energy to heat. When sunlight strikes a building the building materials can reflect transmit or absorb the solar radiation. Passive solar homes can be any color just like normal homes but they lose a major advantage if they aren t painted to suit the climate.

A well designed passive solar home first reduces heating and cooling loads through energy efficiency strategies and then meets those reduced loads in whole or part with solar energy. Light colored homes reflect the sun s light reducing the amount of heat retained in the walls and therefore lowering summer cooling loads. Passive solar design takes advantage of a building s site climate and materials to minimize energy use. Passive solar design begins with the simple idea that you can build a house that uses natural heating cooling ventilation and daylighting.

This is called passive solar design because unlike active solar heating systems it does not involve the use of mechanical and electrical devices.