Passive Solar Heating and Daylighting

Passive solar heating and daylighting use natural solar heat and light to heat, cool, and light buildings.

Buildings designed for passive solar heating usually have large, south-facing windows and may also have floors and walls that absorb and store the sun's heat. This way the heat is built up during the day and slowly released at night, when it gets colder.

In the hot summer months there is too much heat. Passive-solar windows and computerized blinds redirect sunshine back from windows or skylights and can significantly reduce air-conditioning and electricity costs for cooling.

Many passive solar heating designs also provide daylighting. Daylighting technologies redirect sunlight to the inside to increase the natural light in a building's interior.

All passive solar technologies reduce CO2 emissions by reducing the need for power. In fact, passive solar technologies they can be considered better than renewable sources of energy like PV, because they reduce the amount of electricity or heating oil needed in the first place, are simpler and less expensive, and have a much quicker ROI.