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Passive Solar Design Concepts: A Brief History and Case Study |
 Passive Solar Design Strategy is nothing new. Cliff dwellers of the southwestern United States oriented their homes towards the south to maximize solar gain.
Viking ships used crude solar reflectors to burn the sails of enemy ships, and in 700AD, Persians used solar power in the sailing of ships as well as incorporating solar strategy into their building designs.
Passive Solar Design Strategies have long been used for drying bricks for buildings, a technique still used in many parts of the world.
While true Passive Solar Strategies are age old and time tested, basic principals must be correctly understood and applied. For instance, in the late 70’s and early 80’s, many builders and designers wanted to take advantage of the growing number of home buyers trying to harness the sun’s free energy.
Tax incentives under President Jimmy Carter along with high oil prices spurred a Passive Solar Design resurgence in the US. Many builders, however, did not understand true Passive Solar Design concepts. Many homes overheated in the summer and experienced major heat loss during the winter.
The buildings that were built correctly, however, provided comfortable living and work space year round while saving on energy costs as promised, thus proving the sustainability of these strategies.
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|  Some say that the ultimate in sustainable construction is not new construction at all, but renovation of an existing structure. Renovation is the ultimate in recycling. I have been slowly renovating a 1968 home to meet or exceed the standards of new home construction. It has been challenging since the start in 2008.
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As globalization and the age of information link communities around the world with expanding economic and social ties, it becomes critical for not only preservation of the global economy, but for human survival, to adopt and adapt to a sustainable mindset.
This involves a major shift in thinking from a linear perspective to a cyclical thought pattern. This is important to consider while exploring the role of the seven core elements of the sustainable development transition.
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Going to college has always been a logical step toward job security, but what about in the modern day of globalization, economic turmoil, and future uncertainty? We hear about a “new economic infrastructure”: what does this mean in terms of smart career choices? Many people are finding that their retirement savings have vanished… not to mention money that had been put aside for their children’s college tuition.
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The construction industry is a rapidly evolving field that is vast and far-reaching in our global economy. With the housing market in a slump, many people may be hesitant about construction as a career choice. Construction as an industry makes up 70 percent of our energy use and as a result plays a critical role in rebuilding a sustainable economy based on renewable energy and energy efficiency.
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Studies by the U.S. Department of Energy Information Administration indicate that homes account for 21 to 22 percent of all US energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
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Green Building Education Gives Construction Workers an Edge |
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Since a shift in the American mind-set after WWII to a consumer-based society, frugality and resourcefulness hasn’t played much of a role in U.S. industry. Cheap energy and materials didn’t help the situation as inefficient and wasteful construction practices created over-sized, energy-hungry McMansions. With globalization, it seems like
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