Green home building has emerged as a force in the movement for sustainable living and energy independence as home builders look to separate themselves from the downward spiral of fossil fuels. Still, a modern home will need energy to run, and lots of it. Where better to turn for most builders than the sun? Solar energy is free and reliable and as renewable as renewable gets.

A new green home will utilize both passive and active solar power. It all starts with design. A passive solar design, with south facing bedrooms and windows, among other techniques, enables the green home to heat itself directly from the sun and will lessen the energy burden on active systems, thus making the home more wholly efficient.

A green home will use an active solar electric system to power appliances and other electrical devices and, perhaps, to heat and cool the home during times when the passive design or solar thermal system cannot keep up. Or, thanks to net metering, you can use grid power when the sun is in short supply, and provide grid power when sunlight is plentiful.

An active solar thermal system can provide hot water, radiant heating, and cooling. It is the third piece of the solar trifecta that can completely power the green home. Using sunlight to concentrate heat, a solar thermal system is relatively affordable and very cost effective.

For many homeowners, a green home has become an aspiration, and every year it gets a little easier and cheaper to achieve that goal. And it is difficult to imagine a green home without a significant role from solar power. On a residential scale it is the most practical choice and can have a role in everything from solar roof shingles to solar lighting in the garden.

There is no mistaking solar as an element, a big element, of today’s green home and the green home of the future.

photo of work by SolSource Inc.