Mention solar energy and many people cringe at the thought of the aesthetics. But solar design has come a long way. Solar technology is constantly advancing and creating new ways to capture this renewable energy. The truth is solar energy is a consideration for every home no matter where you live. The question is really what kind of solar is right for you?

There’s a tremendous amount of focus on renewable energy these days. Any discussion about energy consumption is coupled with rising costs and demand. Designing with solar energy in mind can increase a building’s energy performance as well as decrease dependence on costly, non-renewable energy.

There are several ways solar energy can improve your home’s efficiency and save you money. The simplest is through passive solar design. This is an age old principle that can be applied to any home. The most energy-efficient buildings use natural patterns to heat and cool and that’s the idea behind passive solar. The sun should be invited in when it’s cold outside and kept out when the temperatures are high.

The stacked homes of Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, are an example of indigenous passive solar design. So are the saltboxes of early New England which faced the sun and shielded from cold northern winds with extended, sloping roofs.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Jacob II House is perhaps the most integrated example of passive solar design. The home is a U-shaped structure that’s form follows the path of the sun. Plenty of southern facing windows allow solar gain in winter while overhangs provide shade in summer. The building’s stone walls and concrete floors store heat while cross-ventilating windows allow natural cooling.

Now, most of us don’t live in extreme homes but these examples lend lessons for every type of house. Appropriate exposure and shading can help lower heating and cooling demands. If you’re starting a new construction project, apply passive solar principles as you design and site the building.

Also keep in mind that strategic passive solar design can help utilize natural daylighting. Not only will this lower your electricity bill, it’s also been proven to create more productive and enjoyable interior spaces. In some European cities, like Düsseldorf, zoning requires that all offices have access to natural daylight for worker’s well-being.

Once you’ve considered the natural uses of solar energy, there are two types of active solar energy systems that can be applied: solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal.

When fuel was cheap, active solar homes seemed expensive. The use of active solar systems fell out of public favor from the late 1950s until the mid-1970s. The brief resurgence in popularity soon fizzled when homeowners were once again faced with higher initial costs.

Once again, fuel and energy costs are driving building technology. Environmental concerns alone make renewable energy appealing - including manufacturing of photovoltaic cells, solar energy produces about 1/8 the amount of CO2 emissions per kWh of electricity that oil does. However, it is cost and benefits that drive consumer demands. This time around homeowners have many more options and performance research to calculate cost-effectiveness.

Different regions vary in availability and diffuseness of solar energy. For instance, southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada have the highest amounts of solar energy available while Alaska, Washington and western Pennsylvania have the least.

Still, photovoltaic and solar thermal systems aren’t limited to sunny, southern regions. Many Scandinavian homes at the same latitude as Alaska are powered by stand alone PV systems.

Solar thermal systems can be used in any climate to transfer heat effectively to pools, domestic hot water and radiant floor heating. Solar thermal systems have fewer components and are less expensive. They simply collect heat and disperse it for use throughout a home.

The advantage of PV systems is that they convert sunlight directly into electricity. Systems can be stand alone or connected to the power grid. Connected systems allow owners to draw backup power when needed and sell extra electricity back to the grid. Homeowners can evaluate upfront costs against expected return to determine how a photovoltaic system will pay off.

In a simplified example, let’s say you have a home in New England that uses 8,000 kWh/year of electricity and you are considering a grid-connected solar PV system. You decide on an array that will produce 14,000 kWh/year of electricity. The system requires 1024 square feet (32’ x 32’) of photovoltaics. The solar PV array will cost $72,600 and electricity costs $0.20/kWh.

You offset $1,600 per year by creating your own electricity. You also sell $1,200 worth of electricity back to the grid each year. Your yearly payback is $2,800. You’ve paid $72,600 in upfront costs for the solar PV system, so what's the return? You’ve prepaid your electric bill for 25 years ($72,600 divided by $2,800 equals 25 years) and decreased your home’s CO2 emissions to an eighth of a typical U.S. house. After 25 years, the system begins paying you, or the next owner, $1200 per year.

Now, 25 years is a considerable amount of time but it’s relative. Imagine the day you pay off your mortgage. What if your home also had no more overhead costs for heating, cooling and electricity? That’s quite a boost to the lifespan of your retirement savings or the resale value of the home. If the solar craze of the 1970s had continued in its momentum, today’s buyers would be asking how much the house pays per year instead of its operational costs.

There are incentives that can help offset some of the upfront costs. The federal government offers tax credits for energy efficient home improvements and there may also be state or local incentives available depending on where you live. The key to successful implemention of renewable energy strategies is to research the options and develop long term goals.

Solar photovoltaic systems may not be right for your home or situation but they are certainly worth considering. Integrated façade systems, flexible materials and superior design are today’s standards – a far cry from the awkward retrofit installations of the 1970s. If not PV, than perhaps solar thermal can keep your showers hot and your floors radiantly comfortable.

There are a number of professionals who can help you sort through the cost-effectiveness of today’s energy-efficiency solutions. Use the helpful links below to discover more ways renewable energy, energy-efficiency and sustainable design principles can help boost your home’s comfort while providing long-term energy savings.

*Note: The information in this article is general advice and not meant as a substitute for personal guidance from a financial advisor, real estate professional, general contractor or legal counsel. Although the author is a licensed realtor, the advice given in this article does not constitute any client contract or agreement between the author and the user. The author is not responsible for any losses, damages or claims that may result from your decisions.