Active vs Passive Solar

Your Options with Solar Energy

Active Solar Energy uses of mechanical devices in the collection, storage, and distribution of solar energy for your home. An example, is in active solar energy water heating systems a pump is used to circulate water through the system. There are a numerous solar applications that a homeowner can use to take full advantage of active solar energy. These include: Active Solar Space Heating is a method of heating the air inside of your home. This method uses mechanical equipment including: pumps, fans and blowers to help collect, store and distribute heat throughout the home. A system such as this can either be liquid-based or air-based. • Liquid-based systems will use large water tanks or thermal mass for heat storage. The heat is distributed using radiant slab systems, central forced air systems, or hot-water baseboards. • Air-based systems will use thermal mass or rock bins to hold the heated air for storage. Using ducts and blowers the air is then distributed throughout the home. Active Solar Water Heating is a method of heating your home's water using the sun and pumps to circulate the water or heat-transfer fluid through the system. The two primary methods of active solar water heating are "Closed-Loop Systems" and "Open-Loop Systems". • Closed-Loop Systems use a heat transfer fluid which is usually a water-antifreeze mixture. After the heat-transfer fluid is heated in the solar collectors, it is pumped to a storage tank where a heat-exchanger transfers the heat from the fulid to the household water. • Open-Loop Systems heat the actual household water in the solar collectors. Once heated, the water is pumped to a storage tank and then is piped to faucets for use in the home. Since this system uses regular household water in the collectors, it should only be used in areas that do not experience freezing conditions. Active Solar Pool Heating is a method of heating your pool's water that uses pumps to circulate your pool water through solar collectors for heating and then back into your pool. Your pool is used as the storage medium for the heated wate so there is not any need for water storage tanks. This method of solar pool heating is a great way to extend any family's swimming season while reducing pool heating costs.



Passive Solar Energy refers to the harnessing of the sun's energy without the use of mechanical devices. Using south-facing windows to provide natural lighting and heat for your home are examples of passive solar energy. There are a variety of solar applications that a homeowner can use to take full advantage of passive solar energy. These include: Passive Solar Heating is a type of solar space heating that can be accomplished by the following methods: • Orienting your home so that the majority of it's windows face south. • Sizing your windows for optimal heat gain and making sure you have the right type of windows. • Utilizing thermal mass to absorb the solar energy entering the windows for release during the night. Thermal mass is simply a solid or liquid material that will absorb and store warmth and coolness until it is needed. Examples of thermal mass include: brick, stone, concrete and water. • Insulating your home to minimize heat loss. Passive Solar Cooling utilizes many of the methods listed below to minimize the impact the summer sun has on your home and thereby reduce or eliminate your home's need for mechanical cooling systems. Passive Solar Cooling techniques include: • Orienting your home and landscape so that it can take advantage of cooling breezes. • Designing your home to minimize barriers to air paths through the home to allow for natural ventilation. • Using the right size and type of windows in order to minimize the heat gain in the summer and that enable ventilation by opening. • Using both structural features and landscaping to create shading. • Insulating your home to maintain a comfortable temperature. Daylighting is a technique that maximizes the use of natural light to illuminate your home. Effective use of daylighting brings a pleasing quality to the rooms in your home while redusing your home's electricity expenses. A homeowner can effectively use daylighting by: • Positioning and sizing windows to allow for sufficient natural light to enter your home while accounting for heat gain, heat loss, glare, and the available sunlight throughout the day. • Utilizing exterior shading techniques to diffuse sunlight.