Tropical Solar Home Designs
Tropical solar home designs utilize a process known as passive solar design. This refers to taking into consideration natural heating and cooling conditions when designing the home.
One of the givens of a tropical climate is that there is going to be plenty of sunlight, heat, and even humidity available. Home designers in tropical areas have always been aware of these things and the physical location and overall design of tropical homes have reflected this awareness. Although we are hearing much about passive solar design today, the original concept had little to due with energy consumption or environmental concerns. The original spur to tropical solar home designs was common sense and a desire for comfort.
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The passive concept of tropical solar home designs refers to using natural things such as the orientation of the home to the sun light and the use of any available shading as integral features of the design. By taking full advantage of the heating and cooling potential of the natural surroundings, the burden on artificially produced heating and cooling is lowered. The benefit to the homeowner and the environment is maximized.
Although the passive solar elements of tropical solar home designs do not involve artificial items such as solar panels, this does not mean that they can not be incorporated into the overall plan of the home. The idea is to take maximum use of the climate conditions, but not to surrender to them completely. The use of fans for air circulation and the removal of humidity in more tropical areas is not a passive element, but is an essential part of the tropical solar design scheme.
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It should be noted that tropical solar designs are not practical for climates where there are long and cold winters. The design features would include an open approach and the selection of materials that would let the maximum amount of heat into a home. This would create obvious problems in the dead of winter. Despite this fact, some principles of passive solar design could still be helpful in colder climates. The orientation of the home in reference to the sun, for example, could still be useful.
Tropical solar home designs are geared for warmer climates where winters are short and mild and it is here they are not only more effective, but tend to have more of a natural look. Rising energy costs, the need to reduce energy consumption, and the legitimate concern for the environment have made solar power an attractive option. Such things as tropical and passive solar designs should become even more important and popular in the coming years.