The popular word today is GREEN, meaning protecting our environment, enhancing our ecology, conserving our energy and, also, fighting global warming, pollution and waste.

Utilizing the solar system, instead of fuel, for space heating is part of GREEN. And that’s where solar homes come in.

The Traditional Way: Active Solar Homes
Early on, architects learned to harness the sun to heat our homes and minimize our dependence on imported oil. South-facing solar panels on the roof, with circulating water, can produce free domestic hot water. This system is still popular and is cost-effective.

Multiple such panels, with anti-freeze liquid instead of water, and with elaborate pumps and insulated storage tanks have been used for space heating. This system is called “active solar,” due to the hardware involved in the system, and it is not cost-effective.

Another upcoming system, born out of the space age, is “photovoltaic.” Photovoltaic roof panels use sun power to run the house’s entire electrical system. This option is clean, efficient and almost care-free, but very costly to install. However, it does have future potentials as costs come down.

The Practical Way: Passive Solar Homes
“Passive solar” is an old more…

Home solar energy has moved out of the pages of Mother Earth News and gone mainstream. The average homeowner is able to purchase the components necessary for a viable solar energy system from stores like Home Depot.

Beyond the environmental benefits, homeowners also save on their energy bills - even possibly generating enough electricity to sell back your local electric company to make a profit, and when the power goes out on the grid your home will still have its electricity. Anyone who lives in an area where natural disasters or extreme weather cause frequent power outages will certainly appreciate this aspect.

The consumer needs to consider whether the solar energy option is being added to an existing house or to a new build.

New builds are cheaper to add the features that make for an energy efficient home: solar panels for electricity and hot water on demand heaters or solar hot water units are much less expensive when installed on a new home.

Situating the house so there is optimal solar gain is also something that can be considered prior to building.

Existing houses are still able to benefit from solar energy though. Solar panels have become more…