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With mindful planning and research, individuals can develop their custom built home to benefit from the sun and the power that it produces. The appropriate placing of windows and trees can aid in keeping your house warm in winter and cool in summertime. It can likewise enable you to install passive solar water heating units that will save you cash on your energy bills, and, through making use of something called thermal mass, it can help you heat your home, even in the coldest of months. Placing your biggest windows facing south (assuming you reside in the northern hemisphere) will maximize the amount of solar energy that enters your house. Those windows, nevertheless, must be protected by deciduous trees. The shade of the trees will keep the heat of the sun out of your house in the summertime, but will however allow the sun into your home in the winter season. Putting a solarium on the south side of your house and installing either a stone or concrete floor, will maximize the heating benefits during the winter season. The concrete and stone act as a thermal mass-- the heat caused by the sun is taken in by the mass during the day, and is released slowly during the night. Designing your house to make the most of passive ventilation will assist spread that heat throughout most of the home, thereby reducing your heating bill throughout the winter. Positioning a solar water heater, even a do it yourself one, and photovoltaic panels outside your home, usually on the roof for the water supply, will end up saving you money on your utilities. What makes making the most of solar power is that it lowers the ongoing expenses of living in a home, while costing just a one-time expense. Making use of energy conservation techniques and gadgets will also assist in keeping your utility bills lower. Installing awnings and shutters over your windows for use in the summertime. Putting in ceiling fans to help with room air distribution. Installing an affordable heat pump, one that will draw excess heat from the house and release it into the ground during the summer months and will draw heat energy from the ground to assist warm the air in your home. Of course, well-sealed windows and insulated doors will assist in keeping the cold out in the winter months and the heat out in the summer, as will a good quantity of insulation in your attics and walls. All of these things can be installed during the construction process, saving you time and money. Deciding to reside in a solar power home helps to secure the environment and will assist in conserving the world's energy resources. It will also bring assurance to you by ensuring that your future energy and utility bills will never ever grow too large. |