of the Solar Living Institute. The Pueblo Indians constructed their cities to maxi- mize solar warming in winter and screen the strongest rays in summer. Many of these ancient techniques


were abandoned in the age of cheap fossil fuels. “We build our houses for curb appeal or for the view, not think- ing that all those windows facing south in the summer are going to cook the inside of the house,” says Amiran. Daniel Aiello, chair of the nonprof-


it Arizona Solar Center and a principal of Janus II Environmental Architects & Planners, helps homeowners create vertical shading on east and west expo- sures with manmade screens or shrubs, trellises and vines, which have the added benefit of letting light and heat in during the winter, if they are decidu- ous. “Each side of the building is going to look different,” notes Aiello, who uses overhangs or awnings over south- facing windows in warm climates. Aiello also points out that on a


home’s exterior, light-colored surfaces reflect more heat than dark-colored ones. He adds that textured surfaces stay cooler than flat ones, due to small-scale shading and the breakup of the interface between warm air and the surface. Inset windows are cooler, as well. It’s all important, because 35 per-


cent of a building’s potential heat gain stems from the direct action of solar rays striking surfaces, according to Aiello. In- corporating such passive solar design ele- ments into buildings can reduce heating bills by as much as 50 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Another passive technique is to use


cross ventilation by opening opposing windows. Take this a step further by in- stalling vents to allow hot air to escape from high spaces and cool air to enter


Helpful Websites


Arizona Solar Center: azsolarcenter.org Rocky Mountain Institute: rmi.org


U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: EnergyStar.gov U.S. Green Building Council: usgbc.org


at lower ones. Also, make sure walls and windows are well insulated against outdoor air. Inside, shutters, light-col- ored blinds and curtains can also make a big difference. Also consider glass with low-emit-


tance (low-E) coating, which reduces heat transfer. The position of light-col- ored gravel, pools and other reflective surfaces are important because they can bounce heat; consider putting up a screen to block the energy.


Effective Active Cooling Comes Next


Alex Wilson, editor of Environmental Building News and author of Your Green Home, says the easiest and most efficient option is to use portable floor fans or install ceiling fans, which use 90 percent less energy than air con- ditioning. Fans can cool a room by a perceived seven to 10 degrees simply by moving air, which effects greater evaporation of perspiration. The next step in terms of low price


and high efficiency would be to use a whole-house attic fan, which blows hot air from inside the entire structure out- side. However, Wilson points out that such devices are only able to provide substantial heat relief under certain


Professional Feng Shui Consultations


Nancy C. Canestaro Doctorate of Architecture


Providing residential and commercial Feng Shui using classical traditions


Nancy C. Canestaro, D.ARCH. 865-789-5856 / www.fengshuiladies.com


conditions—usually at night and when the humidity isn’t too high. A less comprehensive solution is


simply to push hot air out of the attic, which will also help cool the house. According to the utility Austin Energy, reducing the attic temperature by 10 degrees or more saves up to 30 percent on AC costs; solar-powered attic fans are available. Some other alternatives to conven-


tional, compression-cycle, central and room AC units are emerging, such as evaporative coolers, often called “swamp coolers.” These draw air over wet pads, and the resulting evaporation causes cooling. Wilson says they only make sense in dry climates, because they add moisture to the air. They typically cost 50 percent less than traditional AC and use 75 percent less energy, although they do require more maintenance. The most energy-efficient and


initially expensive way to cool your home and heat it in the winter is with a geothermal heat pump that takes ad- vantage of the Earth’s subterranean heat gradient. Although they have a hefty upfront installation cost, operating costs are much less than conventional AC. Finally, don’t set the home’s thermo-


stat below 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and install a programmable model. Utilize dehumidifiers, bathroom fans and heat- producing appliances sparingly; switch to compact fluorescent and LED lighting instead of heat-emitting incandescent bulbs; and keep those AC filters clean.


Brian Clark Howard is a New York City- based multimedia journalist and the co-author of Green Lighting and Geo- thermal HVAC. Build Your Own Wind Power System will be released in 2011. Connect at BrianClarkHoward.com.


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July 2011 29


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