The basis of feeling comfortable within a home is to have a healthy environment. One aspect of a healthy house is natural radiant heating, which can be achieved through a balanced passive solar design. The sun heats the earth with radiant heat, which heats us directly and the surfaces around us.
Most conventional heating methods used in our houses only heat the air. This is a less efficient method of heating and tends to attract and circulate dust. Passive Solar can be integrated into the design of a new house or retrofit into an existing house through an addition and interior alterations.
This is achieved through a few aspects of complimentary design.
Backup Heating
- A hydronic radiant floor heating system can be run throughout the house.
- This system can be heated by the Hot Water Heater with a heat exchanger, or an airtight custom masonry radiant stove or prefabricated as manufactured by Tulikivi.
- The radiant tubing in floor of the area with solar gain will naturally heat up the system as well.
- The Passive Solar Design brings the sun as well as the exterior natural surroundings & landscape into the interior of our homes. This helps to make us feel connected to our environment more relaxed, happier, and healthier.
- Siting of an array of windows along an area oriented toward a Southern Exposure to allow solar gain.
Passive Solar Windows
- Klearwall, Yaro & Hurd Windows are a few companies that manufacture very high efficiency triple pane windows. These windows have a thermal insulation value of up to R-9 and a balance of Low-E coatings that allow the heat to come into the house and helps to retain the heat in the winter as well as reflect the heat out in the summer.
Roof Overhangs & Trellises
- The roof is designed to properly extend over the array of windows to prevent overheating.This prevents the mid day sun from shining though the windows in the summer but allows it to penetrate in the winter as the sun gets lower in the sky.
- This can also be accomplished with a trellis that has a deciduous vine.
Create a Thermal Mass
- This can be achieved through use of tile or stone on a concrete slab, masonry wall, a contained water wall, or interior water feature.
- This will absorb and store the solar heat which will then radiate into the house over an extended period of time.
Radiant Heat Circulation
- An open wall design will allow the radiant heat to naturally circulate.
- A low speed whole house ventilation system w a heat exchanger can be added to transfer heat to closed off areas or rooms.