In a race to keep abreast of the times against a backdrop of the world's energy crisis that is pushing prices of energy ever higher, house designs are taking on new considerations and guidelines. Solar homes are an example of such attempts.
This is even the more encouraged by advances in the research and development on the use of solar power as a new viable source of energy. Installing solar panels
for the home is gradually becoming more affordable for the public.
There is yet another area where home builders could capture the free heat directly from the sun through passive solar heating. According to Ron Judkoff, director of the Buildings and Thermal Centre at the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, Colorado, passive-solar features increase the cost of building a new home by only anywhere from nothing to 3 percent. (On a $ 200,000 home, the maximum additional cost of incorporating passive-solar heating might be only another $ 6,000) It all hinges on the design of the house, which can effectively exploit these natural processes of sunlight and wind for natural heating and cooling.
The low additional cost of building such a house with passive solar heating is encouraging because the annual savings from this additional cost-investment from passive solar heating is in the region of between $ 220 in New Mexico to $ 2,255 in New Hampshire. Based on recent energy prices, a passive solar home in a northern location cold save as much as $ 67,000 on heating and cooling costs over a 30-year period.
There is no way to anticipate how fast natural gas and oil prices will increase in a politically unstable world scenario. It is therefore only wise to prepare for the worst and stay ahead of the world energy crisis and imminent energy price hikes. In the aftermath of an inevitable price rise, without an inexpensive, reliable fuel source, millions of house owners may suffer enormous economic hardships. It is only timely and wise to consider leaning on solar power as an alternative source of energy.
The tremendous savings in energy consumption over a 30-year period will more than compensate for the relatively small additional investment in incorporating passive solar. If energy prices increase by 10 %, the estimated 30-year savings would even reduce the cost of the home to zero.
Many considerations go into the design of a solar home; choosing the right site, the design of the house itself and paraphernalia of other loose ends will have to be tied up. This is best left to the professionals to look into. Work closely with the architect and building contractor to help you materialize the house of your dreams. That way not much can go wrong.
Apart from passive solar heating, you can also install solar panels for your special other needs, to make it a complete package for your solar home.
Author Resource:-
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