Passive Solar Energy Panels

There s more to solar power than high tech semiconductor arrays.

Passive solar energy panels.

Greenhouses these make use of large panes of glass that absorb solar radiation. E in passive solar building design windows walls and floors are made to collect store reflect and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer. Passive solar energy utilizes building constituents such as walls floors roofs windows exterior building elements and landscaping to control heat generated by sun. This is a term that refers to any material that stores heat.

You can t buy a passive solar energy system as a simple add on. Passive solar energy works by absorbing solar radiation and retaining heat through the use of thermal mass. In the design of passive solar buildings the building materials are designed to fulfill two functions. Passive solar energy is a type of solar energy in which no external energy is used.

Solar heating designs try to trap and store thermal energy from sunlight directly. The objective is to take advantage of direct sunlight. 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. Examples of passive solar energy use include the following.

Collect store and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter months.