By Debra Rucker Coleman
Passive solar design can make a home more comfortable in every season. The winter sun can warm a home´s interior, while simple shading and thermal mass strategies can prevent summer overheating.
The home designs on the following pages balance four primary building elements orientation, windows, overhangs, and thermal mass—to optimize use of the sun´s energy. While these elements are found in most conventional homes, the designs included here put the right amount in the right places for maximal efficiency and performance. Most of them also provide ample south-facing roof space to accommodate the addition of solar hot water collectors and solar-electric arrays—part of a whole-house plan for energy efficiency and independence.
Whether you´re having a builder construct your own home from these plans or building for a client, consider these best design bets.
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