The Solar House: Passive Heating and Cooling
- Book Review,
by Dan Chiras
From Book News, Inc.
This text presents a relatively nontechnical description of passive solar heating and cooling principles that can be used in the construction of homes heated and cooled simply through the absorption or dissipation of sunlight. The author, who has designed a number of these homes, discusses region-specific design strategies, the integration of environmentally friendly back-up heat, the maintenance of indoor air quality, and step- by-step design processes.Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
The Bookwatch, February 2003
"An excellent guide for embracing ecologically-friendly living."
Book Description
Passive solar heating and passive cooling—approaches known as natural conditioning—provide comfort throughout the year by reducing, or eliminating, the need for fossil fuel. Yet while heat from sunlight and ventilation from breezes is free for the taking, few modern architects or builders really understand the principles involved. Now Dan Chiras, author of the popular book "The Natural House," brings those principles up to date for a new generation of solar enthusiasts. In "The Solar House," Chiras sets the record straight on the vast potential for passive heating and cooling. Acknowledging the good intentions of misguided solar designers in the past, he highlights certain egregious erros and shows how to avoid them. More importantly, Chiras explains in methodical detail how today’s home builders can succeed with solar designs. Readers will learn: - How to select a cost-effective, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly backup heating system. - how to preserve indoor air quality in an airtight, energy-efficient home. - ways of employing green building materials in a naturally conditioned home.
About the Author
Daniel D. Chiras is the author of "The Natural House" (Chelsea Green, 2000). He holds a Ph.D. in physiology and teaches courses on sustainability and environmental health at the universities of Colorado and Denver. He is the author of five college and high school text books as well as other books on global environmental issues. Chiras is also an avid musician, organic gardener, river runner, and bicyclist. He lives with his family in a passive solar / solar electric, straw bale, and rammed tire house in Evergreen, Colorado.
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