Solar Homes

What is a Solar Home?

What does it mean to have a solar home, or to “go solar”? Photovoltaic technology is rapidly spreading and becoming more accessible, and more and more homeowners are going solar daily.

Solar home basics: what are they?

Most commonly, a solar home refers to a household that has a rooftop photovoltaic (PV) array or ground mount solar system installed in order to generate usable electricity from the sun. Often times, solar-powered houses include solar batteries attached to PV arrays to store energy produced from solar panels. In certain cases.

Passive solar technology

Passive solar is a home energy concept that relies on heat from the sun. In a passive solar house, heat is collected as the sun shines through south-facing windows, and it is retained in “thermal mass”, or materials that best store heat (concrete, brick, stone, or tile, usually).

Solar hot water systems

Yet another way to use solar energy at your home is to install a solar hot water system. Like photovoltaic solar installations, solar hot water setups use panels to capture energy from the sun. However, solar hot water systems don’t use the photovoltaic effect to produce electricity; rather, the panels used in these types of setups capture solar thermal energy and use it to heat up the water in your house. Solar hot water is a great way to transition your home away from traditional water heating systems that use fossil fuels like gas or oil.

What benefits do solar houses provide?

No matter the type of solar technology you install, you can realize significant financial and environmental benefits. Solar panel systems and BIPV setups can directly reduce your monthly electric bills. With a home designed for passive solar, you can save money on air conditioning and heating while preventing air pollution from fossil fuels or air conditioning unit use. The same goes for solar hot water – by transitioning away from fossil fuel-based heating technologies, you can both save money and protect the natural environment.

We are now in the process of creating energy efficient homes with our partners in Guyana and Trinidad. These homes will reduce the homeowner’s energy bill considerable. Please find our various designs below.