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Designing around the sun is not a new idea. Virtually every culture in civilization has adapted its building to the relative benefits and hardships of the sun’s energy.
So, how is solar relevant in architecture today? Essentially, there is either passive or active solar design.
Passive takes advantage of sunlight that may be used to light interior spaces and heat the building in colder months. Active solar design incorporates technology that allows a building to generate electrical power by means of photovoltaic panels. The energy produced is then fed back into the public power grid and offsets individual energy consumption.