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If you ever wanted to save electricity and improve the comfort of your home without using any high-tech gadgets, then passive solar design is the answer.

Passive solar design is a smart way of using the natural heat and light from the sun in your home. This is usually done by using various building materials and concepts to efficiently heat and cool your home. The advantage of using passive solar design is that it is rather easy to use, it needs minimal maintenance, its reduces your energy consumption, while increasing your home’s market value.

When working out the passive solar potential of your home, you need to consider how it was built and what materials is was built from. The ideal position for your home would be either be on flat land or on a sun-facing slope. Also, in suburban areas, any trees nearby should be deciduous to shade your home in summer, and let through the sunlight in winter.

For any new building, it is best to build it so that the length faces the sun. Another factor determining your home’s potential for natural light and heat is the shape, type and size of windows you use.

There are three ways the sun can heat your home:

1) Direct – the heat from the direct sunshine on an object.

2) Indirect – when an object with the sun shining on it, radiates heat.

3) Isolated gain – determined by the airflow in your home.

To maximize the sun’s natural heat from all three sources, it is best to use large windows on the sun-facing side of your home.

But there is no point designing your home to let in a lot of natural sunlight and warmth if that energy cannot be stored for later use. Ideally you would want to use materials that absorb sunlight and radiate that heat for a long time. In winter, to get the most out of the natural heat in your home, you could close off cold, unused rooms from the rest of the house, and sit in the sunnier, warmer rooms during the day.

In summer, to regulate the amount of sunshine in your home, you can use the right size roof overhangs. They should extend out enough to block out the midday sun, but allow through weaker sun during the morning and evening. Once again, make sure you have the ideal trees and shrubs to control sunlight entering your home.

To make your current home more energy efficient, an easy way would to get the latest windows that can retain up to 50% more heat. Than can cost up to 15% more than traditional windows, but they will save you a lot of energy and money in the long-run.

These modern windows are known as double-glazed or Low-Emissivity (Low-E) windows. They are great at letting through sunlight and keeping radiant heat from escaping. Some them are made from 2 panes of glass, with a gap of krpyton or argon gas in between to store the sun’s heat. Just make sure your windows and doors are tightly-sealed, and it will prevent any warmth from escaping your home.

What your windows are made from can make a big difference too. While metal framed windows generally conduct heat out the house, wood, vinyl and fiberglass frames insulate the heat better. Always ensure any modern windows bought have labels issued by Energy Star or the National Fenestration Rating Council. These labels provide statistics on how effective and efficient the windows are at retaining heat, which helps you purchase the right windows for your conditions and budget.

The whole idea behind passive solar design is to use the sun’s natural heat in such a way that it reduces your energy consumption and expenses. So before going out and getting the latest and greatest passive solar design and products, always weigh up the cost involved with how much you will save in energy bills in the long-term.