Orlando Custom Homes

Incorporating Solar Energy into Your Home

The sun’s energy can be used to heat and cool your home. With advances in science, it is easy to incorporate solar energy into your home. Solar power is a great way to save money on electric bills while investing in the environment.

Difference between Passive and Active Designs

Solar design systems can operate either passively or actively. In a passive system, energy is captured from the natural movement of air. The home is designed in a way that maximizes the energy captured from the sun while still using traditional construction. Natural features such as wind and shade are the primary sources of energy. It is a very simple system that does not include complicated controls.

Contrarily, active systems use extensive mechanical pumps to collect and store heat and then later turn the stored heat into energy. The highly publicized photovoltaic panels, commonly known as solar panels, that collect solar energy and convert it to electricity are considered a component of an active system.

Passively Designing Your Home

When designing a home to be solar friendly, there are several factors that need to be planned carefully: windows, insulation, orientation, shading, and thermal mass. While most homes incorporate the first four factors, thermal mass is what differentiates a passive solar design. Thermal mass is a material that allows the home to collect, store, and distribute solar energy. Homes can be built a variety ways. Most architectural styles are possible.

Contact Us

If you are interested in building a custom home incorporating solar power, contact the Orlando custom home builders of BRC Homes at 407-612-6998.