Passive Solar House Plans

Passive solar house plans are the wave of the future. They will no doubt become more popular and widespread as technology improves and the cost of solar implementation decreases to the point where it makes sense for the majority of homeowners.
 
 A key element of passive solar house plans is the ability to collect energy from the sun without external systems that have to be maintained and monitored. A passive system could be as simple as situating a house with the main windows facing south and a strategically measured overhang over the windows. This would allow the windows to capture direct sunlight during the cooler months as the sun crosses the sky from east to west. In the summer the sun would cross at a higher arc, allowing the upper overhang to keep the windows in shadow.
 
 Passive solar house plans can also be incorporated into the housing material itself. The mud bricks that make up adobe houses, for example, have the ability to soak up large amounts of solar energy. This helps regulate the temperature of the desert home by absorbing heat during the day, then releasing that heat during the night to counteract the extreme cooling that occurs as excess heat rises straight up from the desert floor.
 
 As passive solar house plans advance, we are likely to see a mix of active and passive systems become more common. The good news is that we can all look forward to lower utility bills in future thanks to more efficient energy use through the power of design and technology.