A systematic approach for energy design of advanced solar houses

Designing a net-zero energy solar house (defined here as a house that generates on site as much energy as it consumes over an average year) requires an all-inclusive methodology exploiting synergies between passive solar design and the operation of renewable energy systems. By following this method, it is also possible to build a house whose energy production substantially exceeds its consumption, so that the additional available power can be used for other purposes (e.g., for a plug-in electric vehicle or in a greenhouse). This paper describes a general methodology for the design of such an advanced solar house.