There are some basic building principles that, when applied correctly, can greatly reduce the energy required to keep a home (or any building) warm in winter and cool in summer. Once applied, these ...

Passive solar architecture is a design strategy that optimizes a building’s energy efficiency and long-term sustainability. By relying on a building site’s solar orientation and climate, sustainable ...

Sonya Newenhouse’s Wisconsin-based, 968-square-foot passive solar home is 80 percent more energy-efficient than the average U.S. home. Building a home with near-zero winter heating costs may sound ...

Ancillary spaces such as the pantry, bathroom, and closet sit on the home's cooler, north-facing side, whereas the primary living spaces are on the warmer, south-facing side. Butler notes that the ...

Completed over the span of four years, Haus B is a passive solar home that is a contemporary departure from the housing norm of the 1960s suburban neighborhood in which it resides. Located in Dreieich ...

As one of the most beautiful states in the country, Maine offers an infinite number of advantages. But the state’s notoriously frigid winters often leave new residents desperate to find some respite ...

Benjamin Banneker High School in Washington, D.C., designed by Perkins Eastman, is LEED Platinum–certified and one of the most energy-efficient high schools in the U.S. (Courtesy Perkins ...

We have never actually explained this in one post on TreeHugger. I am going to try. At the opening keynote presentation of the PassiveHouse Canada conference recently, I rolled my eyes when Deborah ...

This couple built a passive solar home on 18-acres in Shelby County that uses the sun to stay warm year-round and features incredible gardens.

Passive solar — a building approach that uses the sun's energy for heating, cooling, and lighting without mechanical equipment — helps keep homes comfy year-round. When Doug Butler and Jamie Jarboe ...