How to Install a Renewable Energy Sourcethumbnail All sorts of buildings can support solar power
Evidence of renewable energy can be seen everywhere in modern society. Popular types of renewable energy include solar energy and wind energy. Wind farms have sprouted up all over the world in recent years, and more and more homes are installing solar windows and solar panels. This article describes how to set up passive solar energy, through windows, in your home. Passive solar energy, as opposed to active solar energy, requires no mechanized systems, as reviewed in Green Building Encyclopedia.
Difficulty:
Challenging
Instructions
Things You’ll Need
Solar power windows
Thermal mass
Check for where you want to install your solar windows. This should be where your home receives the most sun. If you choose an area where the sun is blocked out, then solar energy will be less effective.
Choose what types of windows you require. Large windows, which are able to receive all of the sun’s rays, are the best type for solar power. Typically, a building that is sloped will be better suited for the installation of solar energy.
Install a thermal mass, which can be just a simple concrete slab. A thermal mass absorbs the sunlight which comes through solar windows. Also, it helps to make temperature inert, and, consequently, retains heat. Because of this, the inside temperature will remain around the same throughout the day.
Select materials for your thermal mass. Any material you choose should be dark, as this will keep in the sun’s rays more efficiently than lighter colors. The types of material suitable for a thermal mass include concrete, stone and brick. Situate the thermal mass in an area of your home that receives the most sunlight, as with the solar windows. When properly installed, sunlight will permeate the solar panels and heat the thermal mass. The heat will then spread around the house.