Through sustainable home design, passive solar energy systems can take advantage of natural energy characteristics and can efficiently heat and cool living spaces with minimal or no reliance on traditional heating and cooling systems. Some elements of passive solar design include optimally placed operable windows, thermal mass, (building material that stores heat to reduce temperature fluctuations) and thermal chimneys (which reinforce the effects of hot air rising to help cool rooms in a home). Passive solar energy is different from the more-familiar active solar energy collected through photovoltaic (PV) panels and systems.

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Passive Solar Home Design – US Department of Energy

10 Benefits of a Passive Solar House – How Stuff Works