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 clever way of using the sun’s natural heat and light energy in your home. An example is the use of different building designs and materials to effectively cool and heat your home. What’s so appealing about passive solar design is that it requires little upkeep, it is easy to setup, it improves the value of your home, and you can benefit from tax breaks.

Your home’s passive solar potential is determined by where and how it is situated and by the types of windows and materials used. Although most buildings can be optimized to receive the ideal amount of sunshine, it is easier if they are on flat land or a sun-facing slope. If your home is surrounded by many trees, make sure they are deciduous so that they shade your home in summer, but their bare branches let sunlight through in winter. Also, try avoid nearby buildings that create too much shade.

If you plan to build a new home, make sure it is designed so that the majority of it faces the sun. Also, the size, type and shape of your windows will affect how much sunlight and natural heat your home gets.

There are three ways the sun can heat your home:

1) Direct gain – direct heat from the sun shining on a surface.

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

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

The get the most out the the above 3 heat sources, you should try install large windows on the sun-facing side of your home, as this will allow the most sunlight in.

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.

For your existing home, the easiest way to make it more heat efficient would be to install modern windows that can retain heat up to 50% better. Though they tend to be a little more expensive, in the long-term they pay themselves off many times over, by reducing your power consumption during the colder months.

Also known as Low-emissivity (Low-E) windows, double-glazed windows are great at letting through sunlight, but retaining that natural heat inside. Some of them have multiple panes of glass with a gap of argon or krypton gas to store the heat. Also to reduce heat loss, make sure your windows and doors are well-sealed.

The type of windows frames you use can also make a huge difference. Metal frames should be avoided since they draw heat out of your home in winter, but heat up your home in summer. It is better to use wooden, vinyl or fiberglass frames to insulate your home better. When you do buy modern windows make sure they are labeled by the National Fenestration Rating Council or by Energy Star. That way you will be able to buy the right windows for your needs 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.