What Is Passive Solar Energy?

Solar energy is becoming an increasingly popular energy source on account of it being renewable, accessible, and better for our planet. In fact, there are over 173,000 terawatts of solar energy that hit Earth every second. That’s enough sunlight to power the entire planet 10,000 times over. This makes solar energy the most abundant energy resource on the planet.

Solar technology continues to evolve and we are constantly finding new ways of incorporating solar energy into our lives. One of those ways is through passive solar energy. In this article, we’ll look at what passive solar energy is and other information you should know about it.

Passive Solar Energy Explained

The main way we utilize solar energy is by using solar panels to capture solar energy, transform it into electricity, and use that electricity to power our homes, cars, devices, and more. However, there are additional ways to make use of the sun’s energy.

Passive solar energy involves designing buildings in a way that harnesses the sun’s energy for heating and cooling purposes. Depending on how the specific building is constructed and the materials that are used, it can either reflect, transmit, or absorb the sun’s energy. These buildings also do not use fans, pumps, or blowers to distribute solar heat. 

Buildings with passive solar design often involve a few key elements, including:

• Control - A control is part of the building design that is used to manage the amount of sunlight that enters the building. Controls can be roof overhangs, blinds, awnings, and more.

• Aperture/Collector - The aperture is usually made up of large glass windows or doors, and is how sunlight enters the building.

• Absorber - The absorber is a hard, darkened surface that absorbs the direct sunlight that enters the building through the aperture. It is normally the floor, a wall, a water container, or some kind of masonry that absorbs the sunlight as heat.

• Thermal Mass - The thermal mass is located under the absorber surface. It is made of materials that retain and store the heat that is absorbed from sunlight.

• Distribution - The distribution aspect of passive solar energy buildings is the method by which the stored solar heat is circulated around the home from the various collection and storage points. This usually involves a combination of the three following heat transfer modes: conduction, convection, or radiation.

The Pros and Cons of Passive Solar Energy

One of the main advantages of passive solar energy is that it makes the absolute most out of the solar energy that is present, using it up until there is no more. It also doesn’t require any extra work. Once a building is designed to utilize passive solar energy, it will do so as long as it stands and the sun is shining. This helps to reduce—or even eliminate—heating and cooling costs, saving you money each year.

One of the disadvantages of passive solar energy is the limited amount of solar energy you can store. Once the energy that has been absorbed is used up, there is no more left for power until the sun rises again. Another con of passive solar energy is that heating and cooling depend on sunlight being present, so how warm or cool the space gets is directly tied to the sunlight that is present on that particular day. 

The Elumis Foundation believes that no child should be left in the dark. Our goal is to use solar kits to bring light to families and children around the world who don’t have access to electricity. With the renewable power of the sun, we can change the lives of people all around the world, give them opportunities they wouldn’t have without access to electricity, and help our planet in the process. Find out how you can get involved and help us make a difference today!

About the Elumis Foundation

The Elumis Foundation is a certified non-profit organization that was created in 2018 by siblings Eva and Michael Sakellakis (ages 15 and 13), looking to make a difference. Their father, who has his own successful solar business Elumis, helped and inspired them to form the foundation. Together they formed a Non-Profit 501(c)3 organization. This allows all donations to be tax-deductible by the donors. 100% of all donations received will fund the distribution of solar kits to be given to families who do not have electricity in impoverished areas of the world.

Elumis’ goal is to bring light to families and kids without that privilege through solar kits. These solar kits are powered through solar panels and can provide light and electricity for a family for up to 24 continuous hours. The Foundation has already made its first donation of 1000 solar kits in Vietnam and plans to distribute more kits to third-world countries throughout Africa, South East Asia, Central America, and India. Our goal is to distribute at least 100,000 kits to families in need.