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Solar Heating
Solar heating encompasses the entire home. It takes a good home design to make it all work. There are many designs out there and it is important to get a good one because it will save you a lot of grief in the long run. Here are some of the agreed upon principles of solar heating.
Mass
Thick earthy or concrete walls do a much better job of holding in heat than a stick frame home. The thickness matters a lot. One to two foot thick walls are common. One home with superior mass is the hay home. The hay or straw bales are used for insulation and the outside and inside get stucco.
Mass is often overlooked, but matters a lot. People will often try to work over an inefficient mass design and try to make it work. It can happen, but it’s usually worth it to just start out doing it right. It also helps a lot to have the home slab rightly thick.
Large masses can absorb sunlight energy and give that off at night to keep you warm. In addition, less cold will come through the wall. In stick frame homes, cold air will come right through the wall.
Direction
The sun shines brighter on the south side. This means that windows should be on the south side of the home to let heat in. The windows should be insulated and closed at night to keep air in.
The north side is where you get the strong winds and it is colder. For this reason, build the north side with few or no windows. Many people like to build the north side lower and the south side taller. If you build the north side into earth, it will help insulate the home greatly.
Rocks
Rocks retain heat. You can build a bin of rocks to retain heat. The rocks can be positioned around water heaters or even outdoors in a bin. The main point to consider is that the rock bin should allow for the air to circulate well throughout the home.
Water
Thermal panels work quite well to heat water for the pool and home. Many solar home designs have a water wall. Guess which direction it faces? You guessed it; south. Water is good at absorbing heat during the day and giving it off at night.
To test it out, put water bottles next to your tomato plants. You will find that the plants will grow much faster and stronger due to the extra heat they get at night.
Some solar home designs even have a pond roof to absorb or let out heat.
Circulation
A good design will need little help with circulation. With the understanding of air currents and design homes can have a good constant flow of air without motorized systems.
It is a matter of preference, but most solar homes are concerned with prevention of heat and energy loss. If you develop a design without motorized controls, then the whole process is less costly and uses less energy.
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