Using Solar In Your Home The four main applications of solar energy in homes are daylighting, passive solar heating, solar hot water systems, and photovoltaic systems. Daylighting and passive solar heating are the most cost-effective uses of solar energy in homes. See Daylighting and Passive Solar Heating sections. Although it is best to incorporate these features into new home designs, they should also be considered when remodeling or adding to your home. Solar hot water and photovoltaic systems may have high initial costs, but many homeowners choose to install them because they are reliable, have low environmental impact, and can provide independence from utilities and other energy providers. Some utilities are also offering rebates or subsidies to homeowners who install these systems on their roofs. 
| | Assessing Climate To Improve
Solar Design Summary: This section will provide you with an overview of how and why local climates are considered in the design of solar energy systems. Sunlight, weather patterns, and microclimates (the climate of a small area) affect the performance of solar energy systems. The more direct sunlight a system receives, the more electricity or heat it produces. In contrast, clouds, fog, frost, rain, and falling snow reduce the amount of energy that can be harnessed from the sun. Water and vegetation can make a solar energy system work better or worse, depending on where they are located. Solar designers assess climate to figure out how to work with specific environmental conditions to enhance the performance of solar energy systems. Designing for Climate: Taking into account the characteristics of sunlight at a given location can greatly enhance solar design. The amount of sunlight, or solar radiation, reaching a specific site depends on latitude, time of day, and time of year. Generally speaking, locations nearer the equator receive more sunlight throughout the year than places at higher latitudes. In the United States, for example, the southern states receive more solar radiation than the northern states. Two cities at the same latitude may vary in the amount of sunlight they receive during the year. A city that is often cloudy or rainy will receive less sunlight than one where the sun shines nearly every day. Clouds scatter and absorb solar radiation, creating diffuse sunlight. Dust, smoke, pollen, and suspended water droplets in the atmosphere also scatter and absorb the sun's rays. Diffuse sunlight contains less energy than direct sunlight, which travels unimpeded through the atmosphere. On cloudy days, most or all solar radiation is diffuse. On a clear day, about 85 percent of the sunlight striking the Earth is high-energy, direct radiation. Locations that enjoy clear, sunny days throughout the year have the best solar resources. In the United States, the Southwest is one of the world's best areas for sunlight. This region receives nearly twice as much sunlight in a year as other areas of the country. Other parts of the world with lots of sunlight include desert and high plains regions of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. |
