Passive Solar Comeback on the Way?

Long ago in a galaxy not so far away, our own actually, things were looking up for renewable energy in these parts. And then came the political Dark Ages. Frankly, it depresses me to be reminded of how much time we've wasted in those black hole days. A snippet from a longer article....

Passive Solar Comeback Ahead by Douglas Balcomb in Solar Today magazine

Nearly a generation — 25 years — has passed since the 1976–1982 time frame when passive solar was widely researched and practiced. Interest in building design that relies on the sun’s energy, rather than mechanical equipment, to keep living spaces comfortable was buoyed by major government funding and executive and congressional support.

Those were heady days for those of us at the forefront of the passive solar movement. During that time, I was invited to speak on passive solar in 32 countries and to address a special briefing for President Carter. Edward Mazria’s best seller, The Passive Solar Energy Book, sold 200,000 copies. Mainstream magazines featured homes that were beautiful and comfortable. They were affordable, virtually maintenance-free and typically consumed less than 20 percent of the heat required by their neighbors.

We reckoned that more than 180,000 passive solar homes had been built by 1980, when the presidency changed hands, the energy crisis was declared over, and funding and interest cratered. When the market disappeared, with it went the body of knowledge that had been accumulated. A few stalwart architects continued designing upscale passive-solar homes, but as interest waned, most were forced to retool their skills. Research stagnated.

Now, a generation later, most architects have only vague memories of passive solar. It is generally misunderstood, and only a few designers, many trained 25 years ago, can be found.

Passive Solar Comeback on the Way?

Long ago in a galaxy not so far away, our own actually, things were looking up for renewable energy in these parts. And then came the political Dark Ages. Frankly, it depresses me to be reminded of how much time we've wasted in those black hole days. A snippet from a longer article....

Passive Solar Comeback Ahead by Douglas Balcomb in Solar Today magazine

Nearly a generation — 25 years — has passed since the 1976–1982 time frame when passive solar was widely researched and practiced. Interest in building design that relies on the sun’s energy, rather than mechanical equipment, to keep living spaces comfortable was buoyed by major government funding and executive and congressional support.

Those were heady days for those of us at the forefront of the passive solar movement. During that time, I was invited to speak on passive solar in 32 countries and to address a special briefing for President Carter. Edward Mazria’s best seller, The Passive Solar Energy Book, sold 200,000 copies. Mainstream magazines featured homes that were beautiful and comfortable. They were affordable, virtually maintenance-free and typically consumed less than 20 percent of the heat required by their neighbors.

We reckoned that more than 180,000 passive solar homes had been built by 1980, when the presidency changed hands, the energy crisis was declared over, and funding and interest cratered. When the market disappeared, with it went the body of knowledge that had been accumulated. A few stalwart architects continued designing upscale passive-solar homes, but as interest waned, most were forced to retool their skills. Research stagnated.

Now, a generation later, most architects have only vague memories of passive solar. It is generally misunderstood, and only a few designers, many trained 25 years ago, can be found.