Use More Solar Energy in Your Existing Home

In an existing home, any renovation or window replacement project is an opportunity to improve your home’s energy performance. Most existing homes have poorly insulated, leaky windows that would be cost effective to replace. When replacing windows, consider increasing the windows on the south side of your home and decreasing the windows on the north, […]


Sunspace Design Guidelines

Part 3 of Sunspaces. Passive solar systems structures are conceptually simple. However sunspace designers and builders must pay close attention to details to ensure maximum performance and reliability of the structure. Computer software is now available to help design and establish criteria for specific projects such as passive solar sunspaces. This software makes it relatively […]


Climate Considerations: Landscaping for Energy Efficiency

Part 3 of Landscaping for Energy Efficiency. The United States can be divided into four approximate climatic regions: temperate, hot-arid, hot-wet and cool. The average energy to keep the landscape strategies you use should depend on the region you live. These landscaping strategies by region are listed in order below. Carefully positioned trees can save […]