Homes Gainesville Florida

Homes in Gainesville Florida - Solar Energy

Homes in Gainesville Florida - beautiful climate, warm sunny and a great place for solar energy. It sure could be. However, how your house is located and how it is designed will determine how much advantage is being taken of warm sunny Gainesville Florida. First, solar energy for a home can be either active or passive. An example of active solar energy is where solar panels are installed on a roof in an attempt to capture the energy of the sun for storage and then be transferred into electricity. Of course this energy form costs money which can be significant and it will take some time, perhaps 15 years, to recover your investment in active solar energy. Much less expensive is passive solar energy which may only require some planning on your part.

Passive Solar Homes

Passive solar homes are different from conventional style homes by design planning. When designing your new Gainesville Florida home you need to keep in mind some basic elements of passive solar design.

• a.     Window location and glazing type-windows can be a major factor in heat loss during the winter and heat gain during the summer. If a window has a high R-value (heat resistance to heat flow) it will lose less heat than a window with a low R value. Energy Star labels identify windows that are tailored to fit the varied needs of different climate regions in the United States.  
• b.     Insulation and air sealing - air leakage occurs when outside air enters a house uncontrollably through cracks and openings. Properly sealing air leaks can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs. Also you must provide controlled ventilation as needed. Properly sealed, moisture protected and insulated walls will help increase your comfort, reduce noise and save energy. Effective walls are airtight, moisture controlled and properly insulated.
• c.      Auxiliary heating and cooling systems if needed. Once you have determined how far your passive solar energy plan can help cool and heat your home then you must consider your active energy requirements. You can decide on normal conventional systems or an entire solar off the grid system. You must first determine your family's lifestyle and their average daily electrical energy requirements based on past usage. The use of solar panels and wind turbines can offer quite an adventure. However, to use a wind turbine you probably have to be located on at least a one acre tract of land. Also, you have to be able to lift the wind turbine about 30 feet into the air to get the most benefit from the wind. Your wind turbine cannot be obstructed by
• d.     Buildings and must be in a clear area.
• e.     Landscaping- you must consider your regions climate for your landscape design. Using trees and plants can help shade your home and help reduce cooling costs. To help reduce heating costs use trees and shrubs to act as wind breakers.