"Solar"

Solar / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Passive solar home design

Saskatchewan: The birthplace of Passive House and passive solar home design

...solar heat collection and retention with modern building techniques all the way back in 1977. So Passive House started in the 70's? Most people in the USA and Canada are only really starting to hear about passive solar homes and Passive House certified homes now, so what happened to this ground-breaking design principl...

Passive solar home design

Passive house and passive solar - free heat for homes

...solar collection in home design - active and passive. An active solar home has an expensive array of panels; either photovoltaic for power generation or thermal solar for heat collection. Both are complicated systems that will likely include some moving parts that will eventually, without fail.... fail. Passive solar d...

Efficient home design

The Kenogami House: designed to ENDURE

...solar panels - PV) LED lighting powered by PV panels Multiple energy sources Wall assembly resistant to the effects climate change Engaging: © Écohabitation An efficient and sustainable building coupled with a low environmental impact must be pleasant, friendly and warm. A well loved home will be well prese...

Off-grid and Net-Zero Housing

The Kenogami House: Energy systems in Net Zero Energy home design

...solar systems do not lend themselves well to solar trackers (panels that follow the sun to maximize efficiency) which is not uncommon to see with PV solar systems. On average, a photovoltaic system has a much longer service life than a solar thermal system. For a solar thermal system, the less the temperature differenc...

Solar thermal collectors

DIY solar hot water shower for the great outdoors

...solar hot water shower There are many ways to reduce hot water consumption such as solar hot water heaters, but few are as interesting and fun as having an outdoor solar hot water heater, read our DIY guide. This tutorial will show you how to make excellent use of an easy to put together, handmade, solar hot water sys...

Renewable energy

Where to place solar panels

...solar energy generation from a PV system. Learn more about sustainable living and building in the Ecohome Green Building Guide and on these pages below : How to choosing between a solar tracker and fixed solar panels 10 questions to ask a solar contractor All about home solar different options and how they work ...

Grants and incentives

The Ontario MicroFIT program

...solar and wind projects cannot be built on residential properties but can be built on commercial properties and farmland not deemed residential. 60% of the manufacturing and/or production process for solar projects must be done in Ontario. For a solar project to be considered “rooftop solar” it must be built on an exi...

Off-grid and Net-Zero Housing

Off-grid living blog post 5: appliances, mechanical and other systems

...solar power generation and storage is quickly falling in price, and it is now possible to have a regular supply of electricity at a home for a manageable cost. The second trend is large increases in efficiency of all of the electronics used in our homes. The normal, high-efficiency, often ENERGY STAR approved appliance...

Efficient home design

Thermal batteries: how to passively store heat

...solar thermal panels. Even this type of system is not new, the first house in the United States with an active solar heating system was built In 1939 on the MIT campus (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and sat on top of a huge water reservoir that was heated by thermal solar panels. MIT Solar House thermal batt...

Renewable energy

Aquion’s saltwater home battery

...solar PV and home battery power storage. See more pages on renewable energy and green building in the Ecohome Building Guide and these pages here : How to choose between a solar tracker and a fixed solar panel mount Are solar panels recyclable? Find out here Ten questions to ask a solar panel contractor before s...

Solar photovoltaic

All about solar panels - the different options and how they work

...Solar PV & sustainable & resilient green building techniques here : Choosing between solar trackers & fixed solar panel mounts Are solar panels recyclable? Understanding the process Ten questions to ask a solar panel contractor Tesla solar roof xost, competitors & reviews Find more about sust...