Topic outline

  • Passive Solar Design for the Home

    Credits: 1 PDH

    PDH Course Description:

    This 1 hour course introduces the student to passive solar design techniques, for residential design. Your home's windows, walls, and floors can be designed to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer. This is called passive solar design or climatic design because, unlike active solar heating systems, it doesn't involve the use of mechanical and electrical devices, such as pumps, fans or electrical controls to move the solar heat.

    Topics:

    • Heat Movement Physics
    • Basic Passive Solar Design Techniques
    • Direct Gain: Aperatures, Absorbers, Thermal Mass, Distribution, and Architectural Features
    • Indirect Gains: Trombe Walls
    • Isolated Gain: Sunspace
    • Design options
    • Costs Associated with Passive Design

    To take this course:

    1.) Enroll in Course:
    Click below to enroll:
    (must be logged into your user account)


    2.) Study: Once enrolled, click below to begin the course:

    Download the Study Guide

    3.) Test: Once you've thoroughly read the course materials, please click below to take the final examination.

    Take the final exam

    4.) Certificate: A passing grade of 70% or higher on the exam, is required to receive the certificate of completion for this PDH course.
         NOTE: After the exam is completed, you will need to return to this page, in order to print (download) the certificate of completion.

    Print the Certificate of Completion

    Intended Audience: electrical, mechanical, civil, energy, chemical, environmental, construction,and industrial engineers. However, this course could appeal to engineers of other disciplines as well.
    Publication Source: US Dept. of Energy

    Donald Parnell, PE

  • Topic 1