Passive Solar Design in Green Building for North Texas

A Green Home Is Passive Solar

In the Dallas-Fort Worth and most of the south, passive design is more concerned with cooling the home than heating the home, although there are a few months of the year where passive design is used for heating. 

Thermal mass, thermal chimneys, wing walls, and operable windows are common elements found in good passive design that are used in the DFW and surrounding area. 

Thermal mass refers to materials such as masonry and water used to store heat energy for extended times and function to prevent rapid temperature fluctuations. 

Thermal chimneys create or reinforce the effect of hot air rising and use air movement for cooling purposes. 

Wing walls are vertical exterior partitions placed perpendicular to adjoining windows to enhance ventilation through windows. A casement window with a vertical pane  opening out creates a mini-wing wall.

Operable windows are windows that open. 

Good passive solar design is completely different in Texas than it is in Massachusetts or Wisconsin. The problems start when someone sees a home they like in a magazine that is correctly designed for New England and tries to build that home in areas of Texas or in a climate similar to Texas.

Read more: 
Building green in Texas or similar climates.
Good passive solar design for homes.

Do you need a green builder/remodeler
 in North Central Texas 
or the Dallas-Fort Worth area? 
Contact Terry Jensen 
972 251-1532 or 817 545-0140