Solar Energy for Heating Houses

Passive Solar

• Passive solar refers to solar heating techniques that use little or no mechanical assistance. In home design, this translates to using static features to maximize retention of solar thermal energy. In general, integrating passive solar elements during the home building process is easier than retrofitting an existing home.

Passive Solar Design Elements

• Installing large windows on the south-facing wall maximizes the amount of time that solar energy can pass into the home. This window positioning can work well with a thermal mass. Thermal masses, such as concrete or brick, are materials that store and slowly release heat. The windows let in the solar energy that heats the thermal mass, and at night the thermal mass releases the energy to heat the home's interior.

Active Solar

• Active solar systems make use of mechanical components, such as fans, to distribute the heat gathered from solar thermal energy. These components add to the maintenance of the system and require electricity to run, though less electricity than electric heating for example.

Active Solar Liquid Systems

• Liquid solar systems use solar thermal collectors. These collectors consist of dark-colored panels with liquid inside. Some systems employ an antifreeze liquid or oil for homes in climates where the temperature drops below freezing. Other systems use water in the panels. The thermal collectors absorb solar thermal energy and raise the temperature of the liquid. The system circulates the heated water to a heat exchanger, where a fan circulates the heat into the living space, or to a storage tank for later use, according to the Department of Energy (DOE). These systems can also tie into radiant floor heating systems that pump heated liquids through pipes positioned under a floor.

Active Solar Air Systems

• Active solar air systems also employ thermal collectors, but these collectors raise the temperature of air rather than a liquid. Room air heating systems direct heated air straight into a specific room, according to the DOE. In larger systems for houses, air from the interior of the house is circulated through the collector to bring up the interior temperature or diverted to a storage medium, reports Sustainable Sources.