Passive Solar Design for the Home

This fact sheet provides homeowners with an introduction to passive solar design, which is also called climatic design. It explains how they can use windows, walls, and floors to collect, store, and distribute solar energy to heat their homes in the winter, as well as reject solar heat in the summer. It includes information on heat-movement physics; basic solar design techniques--direct gain, indirect gain (Trombe walls), isolated gain (sunspaces), and design for summer comfort; window options for passive solar; and design cost.