Why pay for heat when it's available for free? New homes can be designed to take advantage of the sun's energy through a passive solar heating system. The design phase plays the biggest role in getting the most efficient system.

Here's a list of the requirements:

• The home should be properly oriented to the sun
• It should have the proper sized, south facing windows
• It should have the correct size of window overhangs
• There should be reduced heating requirements through insulation and weatherization
• There should be adjustable blinds to control heat gain and loss
• There needs to be a proper design and location of a thermal mass for heat storage

The windows allow the sun to radiate it's energy onto a 5 inch thick concrete slab along the inside wall of the home. With the passive solar heating system, a 3,200 square foot house could save as much as 40% over conventional heating systems. And the monthly heating bill can be 50% cheaper.

You can reduce the amount of heat you need by using 6 inch thick wall framing which can accomodate an extra 2 inches of insulation. Cellular window shades can also help in insulation and they come in both top-down and bottom-up styles to make adjustments easy. A solar hot water panel installed on the roof can provide 100% of the hot water in the summer months and about 60% for the year.

Source: Article by Mark Erickson titled "Sun provides the largest energy draw for house"