Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light-dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.
Passive solar works according to a 4-step process:
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First, windows facing the south allow the sun’s rays to shine through. This stage of passive solar heating is known as the aperture (collector) stage.
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Second, After the energy goes through the collector, it is absorbed by you guessed it–the absorber. The absorber is a dark coating of paint on top of a surface known as a thermal mass, which can hold in heat. All the solar energy the absorber is sucking up gets transferred to the thermal mass.
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Third, distribution is a method by which solar heat is transferred from where it is collected and stored to different areas of the house by conduction, convection, and radiation.
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Fourth, the control dictates the entire process of heating, including under and overheating. The control is a system of processes working in unison, namely roof overhangs, vents, and sensors that can detect any problems going on with heating.
In the image below, it's possible to see the 4-steps process.
