Greenhouses these make use of large panes of glass that absorb solar radiation.
Passive solar energy have panels.
In simple terms a passive solar home collects heat as the sun shines through south facing windows and retains it in materials that store heat known as thermal mass.
Passive solar isn t just all about building design though.
Passive solar energy is a type of building design that collects and distributes solar energy in the form of heat around the home in the winter and also prevents excess heating in the summer.
There s more to solar power than high tech semiconductor arrays.
Thermal solar panels which are used to pre heat water for use in the home thereby lowering energy bills can also be a form of passive solar depending on the set up.
Passive solar techniques produce a cooler or warmer air temperature in a building by using the sun s energy without any electrical equipment such as solar panels.
Active solar energy also utilizes external devices solar panels which are low maintenance and very dependable.
Passive solar energy works by absorbing solar radiation and retaining heat through the use of thermal mass.
This is a term that refers to any material that stores heat.
Passive solar energy on the other hand is typically cheaper than active solar energy.
The share of the home s heating load that the passive solar design can meet is called the passive solar fraction and depends on the area of glazing and the amount of thermal mass.
There are three main components to an effective passive solar design.
Remember passive solar simply means that the sun s heat or light isn t processed into something else.