Santa Barbara Solar Energy Systems

There are a number of renewable energy sources including hydroelectric, geothermal, wind, wave, biomass, biofuel, and solar. Solar energy is an economical option for homeowners and small business owners.

Solar energy systems use the radiant heat and light energy from the sun in heat engines and photovoltaic cells to generate electricity. Depending on how a particular solar energy system captures, converts, and distributes that energy determines whether the system is classified as passive or active. The simplest example of a passive solar energy system is orienting your structure towards the sun and using lots of glass on the side facing the sun. Active solar energy systems utilize photovoltaic panels and solar collectors

Passive solar building design collects, stores, and distributes solar energy using windows and the thermal mass of walls and floors. Passive solar energy systems can heat structures in the winter and cool them in the summer. Planting deciduous trees around the exterior of a structure also contributes to passive solar strategies.

Another passive solar design feature that can heat a structure is the use of sun-spaces or trombe walls. A sun-space is merely a glass enclosed space on the south side of a building that acts like a greenhouse and traps the heat from the sun, which can then be circulated throughout the building. A trombe wall also faces south to absorb the sun’s energy. It is usually painted black and thickly built with a material that can absorb lots of heat. Glass or plastic glazing is installed a few inches from the wall creating a space to hold in the heat which can be distributed throughout the structure during the night.

Solar chimneys are another system for circulating solar energy throughout a structure. It is a vertical shaft that connects the interior and exterior atmospheres of a building. Utilizing the same principle that helps a fireplace ventilate smoke up the chimney instead of in your house, heat from the sun warms the air inside the solar chimney causing an updraft that pulls air through the building.

A representative from CBeyond Solar can visit your location and help you design a solar energy system that will help lower your heating and cooling bills while at the same time helping the environment.

CALL NOW for a FREE Quote! 1-855-ONE-SOLAR

About CBeyond Solar!
CBeyond Solar has reduced carbon emissions through its solar systems, accomplishing the equivalent of planting 53,000 acres of trees, taking more than 21,000 cars off the road and saving homeowners $44 million in energy costs over the lifetime of CBeyond Solar’s installed systems to date. Last quarter, the energy systems CBeyond Solar Plus installed were equivalent to planting enough trees to cover the entire island of Manhattan. For more information on CBeyond Solar Plus, please visit www.cbyondsolar.com.