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HeatingThis section will primarily focus on how buildings can be created to gain and retain natural heat, commonly refered to as passive solar heating. With efficient passive solar heating, active heating is required less or hardly at all. For extensive information on active heating go to the Electricity, Wind, and Solar sections. Ways to Enhance Passive Solar Heating:* Placement: Understanding the climate of the building's location (sun movement, wind patterns, terrain) enables a building to work "with" nature's energy, not against it.
What most modern buildings do is actually block the natural light and heat from the sun, creating the need for artificial heat and light. Finding the correct location and orientation for a building can save up to 1/3 energy usage. For example south facing glass and having the longest walls run from east to west are beneficial ways to gain solar heat.   * Windows: Orienting windows in the correct location gives the capability to receive and retain solar heat. Better technology such as "superwindows" optimize light intake and allow heat flow. Superwindows have proven to be 5x as effective as 12 panes of glass and cost significantly less than standard triple glazed windows.
* Building Material: Many conventional buildings have poor insulation and thus have to be mechanically heated because of ongoing heat loss. Using the correct building materials that provide thermal mass and a good quality of insulation (walls at R-40, ceilings at R-60) make a huge difference in heat retention. Example: Trombe Walls consists of a dark painted masonry wall about 5" apart from a glass pane. In between these walls traps and conducts heat to the interior of the building.
Although orientation and window placement are difficult to retrofit, improving insulation on an already built house is much more cost effective than retrofiting a heating system. Alternative Heating Methods:* Trombe Walls: A thermal wall combined with an air space, insulated glazing, and vents that allow the system to act as a solar thermal collector.
 * Geothermal Heating: Radiant floor heating is a technology that sends heated water (can be done via gravity) through tubes underneath the floor and/or pumps and heats water from a nearby source.
* Heat Recovering Ventilators: A technology that cleans fresh air to come inside at a rate chosen while recovering 85% heating energy.
* Roof Pond Systems: A system where water is stored in large plastic or fiberglass containers covered by glazing and the space below is warmed by radiant heat from the warm water above.
* Isolated Solar Room: Sunlight entering the sunroom/greenhouse is retained in the thermal mass and air of the room. Sunlight comes in by means of conduction through a shared mass wall, or by vents that permit the air between the isolated solar room and living space to be exchanged by convection.
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