Article Sphere Logo

How Solar Thermal Works In Your Home

By Expert Author: Richard Solare | Article Abstract
Word Count: 430 words | Views: 82 view(s)
Given energy concerns these days, most homes are now designed to take advantage of passive solar heating concepts. Solar thermal is a big part of this process.

How Thermal Mass Works In Your Home

Getting a little free heating can go a long way on your utility bill, particularly over the life of a structure. Passive solar heating is the methodology used to achieve this goal. It is a process wherein a home is built or upgraded in such a way as to catch and contain as much of the sunlight in the form of heat as possible. To effectively use solar for heating, thermal mass is a subject you need to understand.

Thermal mass simply refers to any material that absorbs and stores heat. In this case, we are obviously talking about material that stores the heat inherent in sunlight and disperses it at a later time once the sunlight is no longer hitting it. You may not realize it, but your home already has thermal mass producing heat. Any material exposed to the sun, furniture, floors and such, acts as thermal mass. Unfortunately, it is usually on a pretty small scale.

Often called intentional thermal mass, a passive solar home will have strategically placed materials that are very efficient at absorbing and radiating heat. While this may sound complex, it really is not. The materials include items such as bricks, tile and masonry. Adobe and clay materials also function well in certain situations.

In a passive solar home, you need the thermal mass in the interior of the home. Strategically placing tile and brick in areas below windows that receive significant sun during the day will often do the trick. Depending on your heating needs, the amount of thermal mass you use will vary. In colder climates, it should be used in bulk while homes in Arizona need only nominal amounts.

One common misunderstanding regarding thermal materials refers to their color. Logically, it would seem to make sense that the materials need to be dark since dark colors absorb more heat. This is not particularly true in passive solar. It is the material, not the color, that makes the difference. Bricks can be just about any light color, but not white. This may sound insignificant, but it can be a major benefit if you want to avoid a dark, gloomy interior in your home.

If you are trying to harness the power of the sun for heating purposes, you need to get a good grasp of the thermal products you will use. This should give you a head start.
Richard Solare

About the Author/Author Bio

Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com, a directory of solar energy companies. Visit us to read more articles on solar power.

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/How-Solar-Thermal-Works-In-Your-Home/30422

Article Submitted: 2006-05-30 | This Article has been viewed 82 times.

Rate Article

Related Videos

How to Make your House Solar
Solar Panel Installation
How to Convert a House Clock to Solar Power in 30mins for $5
How to Install Solar Panels
How to Install a Solar Gate Opener
 

More "Home Improvement" Related Articles

 
 

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Home Improvement" article category.

People interested in the above article "How Solar Thermal Works In Your Home" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

 
Hail is a storm condition that may not happen frequently. But when it does, causes a great deal of damage. It is a solid form of precipitation that is created from frozen water. Hail storms happen fast, often without warning, and usually lasts 3 to 15 minutes. They most frequently occur during a thunderstorm. Meteorologists across the country report hail sizes varying from the size of a pea to as large as 5 inches. Imagine the damage done to a home pelted with hundreds of 5-inch diameter hail balls!
In homes heated by forced air, the duct system is an important component of the structure and should be kept clean and free of debris. Duct cleaning is sometimes viewed as a controversial issue. Most agree that even if the results are minimal, it may still be a good idea to ensure the ducts are empty and free of mold and allergens. It can be difficult for a homeowner to evaluate or clean the ducts on his own, so an annual professional cleaning is a maintenance item that may save money and headaches over time. With an annual cleaning of the duct system, you can discover problems early and have them fixed before they are serious and costly.
Fire is one of the greatest fears of homeowners. The damage left in the wake of a fire can leave an emotional scar long after the home is cleaned and the property restored. Once a fire emergency has passed, call on a reputable restoration company to assist you with the safety and aesthetic aspects involved in the clean up of a fire.
No matter how you prepare, no one expects an emergency or crisis to affect their lives. However, circumstances occur and you may find your home in a state of chaos and disrepair due to any number of events. Weather is often the cause of flooding and fire, vandalism can create exterior damage, and human error could trigger any number of problems. While safety should be the first concern, following the event you will need to clean the damage and return your space to its previous condition. Relying on the services of a restoration company will ensure each of the steps is done completely and competently.
Few things are worse than realizing your home or place of business has experienced water damage. Flooding leaves your belongings damaged, and it can lead to additional issues that may harm the health and well-being of your family or employees. Finding a company that can help you with the clean up and restoration of your property is not just a convenience, it is a necessity.
Mold is a problem that occurs in many homes and buildings, and if treated properly and professionally, is relatively easy to solve. The important thing to remember about mold is its ability to spread rapidly. The sooner you deal with it, or circumstances that can lead to it, the more likely you are to avoid serious problems. The presence of mold creates poor air quality and can lead to breathing problems, allergies, and severe health problems. The spores act as allergens and irritants, and left untreated, they produce mycotoxins and bacteria endotoxins
Those in need of the services of a professional cleaner will want to choose a company that offers the latest in state of the art technology. It should be one that uses high-tech mounted and portable water extraction units to ensure the quickest and most thorough extraction possible. If the flood situation in your home is exceptionally deep, they use gas-powered, submersible pumps that allow for continuous pumping. Their moisture detection equipment is able to measure the amount of moisture that remains after pumping and draining, ensuring the area is cleared of moisture and humidity. This is imperative in ensuring future mold problems will not arise as the result of a flood.
 
Article Directory Home All Categories Home And Family Home Improvement
 

Can't find what you're looking for? Try Google Search!
 
Copyright © 2005 - by Larry Lim, Singapore - Article Search Engine Directory at ArticleSphere.com™
All Rights Reserved Worldwide. All Trademarks and Servicemarks are the property of the respective owners.

Afrikaans Albanian Arabic Belarusian Bulgarian Catalan Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Croatian Czech Danish German English Estonian Filipino Finnish French Galician Greek Hebrew Hindi Hungarian Icelandic Indonesian Irish Italiano Japanese Korean Latvian Lithuanian Macedonian Malay Maltese Dutch Norwegian Persian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swahili Swedish Thai Turkish Ukrainian Vietnamese Welsh Yiddish