Passive solar design means using the sun’s natural energy to heat, cool, and illuminate your home. This is one of the hottest trends in contemporary design. By taking advantage of the sun’s natural exposure, thermal mass, and natural airflow, builders like Avalon Homes are finding innovative ways to reduce energy consumption, while at the same time enhancing comfort year-round.
These kinds of passive solar principles are integrated into our Net-Zero designs, where homes generate as much energy as they annually consume. The reduction in need for mechanical heating and cooling is what maximizes the home’s efficiency and effectiveness (through renewable technology like solar panels), ultimately making it possible at all.
We make homes that are sustainable and beautiful. Let us show you how.
What is Passive Solar Design?
Active solar systems, which are more widely known and commonly thought of, are something different. They use photovoltaic panels and mechanical collectors to convert sunlight into usable energy. Passive solar design, on the other hand, distributes the sun’s energy naturally—this is facilitated through strategic home design and architectural elements that require no moving parts of electricity.
Passive solar home design naturally maintains comfortable temperatures. They work with the climate instead of against it, leveraging nature’s natural battery in different ways depending on the season.
Key Elements of Passive Solar Design
There are five essential elements that all work together in every passive solar home:
- Aperture
- Absorber
- Thermal Mass
- Distribution
- Control
How do we harness them all to obtain the maximum benefit and advantage? Intelligent orientation of the building, appropriate window selection, thermal mass materials, insulation, and shading strategies. Let’s explore each of these.
Building Orientation
Choosing the proper orientation of a building is incredibly important for the concept of passive solar home design. Maximizing southern exposure is key. For colder climates, like Calgary, south-facing windows allow a home to collect the most heat from the sun during the winter. As home builders, we have to consider the shape of the lot, surrounding homes or other structures, and the interior layout that will best support heat flow throughout the space.
Window Placement & Glazing
Triple-glazed or low-emissivity (low-E) windows and strategic window placement can all have a significant impact on home efficiency. South facing windows should be large and unobstructed, while a minimal glazing on the north side can reduce heat loss. East and west windows tend to benefit from shading due to their low-angle sun exposure.
Thermal Mass Materials
Concrete floors and interior masonry walls absorb heat during the day and release it whenever the temperature drops. By deliberately using this principle to our advantage—placing them near-south-facing glazing—we can naturally regulate the indoor temperatures without the need for active systems.
Insulation and Airtightness
All this clever design can easily go to waste. To retain the energy we collect, proper insulation and airtight construction is necessary. Avalon homes uses continuous insulation, air barriers, and blower door testing to minimize heat loss and air leakage. This helps to ensure maximum efficiency of the energy we work so hard to obtain and utilize.
Shading and Overhangs
To prevent overheating in the summer, we’ll often implement overhangs above south-facing windows. We still want the sun to come in during winter, so this is a way of accomplishing both goals. Outside, we’ll use deciduous trees, louvers, and even energy modeling software to help further refine our shading strategy for the home.
Benefits of Passive Solar Design in Net Zero Homes
Passive solar home design can offer powerful benefits to the homeowners themselves and the planet as a whole. Who wouldn’t want to live in a place like that?
- Energy Savings: Natural temperature regulation allows for a reduced demand on HVAC systems in the home. This results in lower electricity bills and carbon emissions.
- Comfort and Health: Fewer drafts, improved lighting, and a more consistent temperature all contribute to health, well-being, and improved indoor air quality.
- Cost Efficiency: Less mechanical energy means lower maintenance costs. The potential for long-term savings is significant with passive solar home design.
Avalon Homes’ Net Zero Approach
Avalon Homes designs with purpose. Our Net Zero projects integrate passive strategies from the ground up, offering buyers a home that has efficiency baked into every detail.
Communities like ZEN Livingston and ZEN Greystone are living examples of our commitment to this level of sustainability. We are proud to have achieved Alberta’s first LEED for Homes Platinum Certification in 2012; LEED certification is awarded for implementing high-performance, eco-friendly practices across construction, energy use, water efficiency, and indoor air quality.
These are some of the ways we have demonstrated our leadership in green building that continues to this day.
Passive solar home design isn’t just a building strategy—it’s a cornerstone of Net Zero living. By working with the natural environment, we can build homes that are healthier to live in, more efficient, and more sustainable.
Avalon Homes is proud to be at the forefront of this exciting environmental and cultural movement. We pride ourselves in delivering innovative, high-performance homes that support both people and the planet.
Explore our current Net Zero projects and speak with a specialist today to learn more about building your sustainable dream home.