Editorial Policy
PassiveSolarArchitecture.com is an educational website dedicated to clear, practical, and technically responsible information about passive solar architecture and climate-responsive building design.
This Editorial Policy explains how we create, review, update, and present content across the website. It also explains the limits of our content and how readers can contact us about corrections, improvements, or feedback.
Our goal is to help architects, self-builders, homeowners, students, investors, developers, and clients understand passive solar design principles before making important building decisions.
Who We Are
PassiveSolarArchitecture.com is written and maintained by the Passive Solar Architecture Editorial Team. We are an independent editorial project, not an architecture or engineering practice, and we do not provide project-specific design advice. We don’t publish individual author credentials; the authority of each page should rest on the sources it cites and the methods it shows. More on the About page.
How a Page Is Produced
- Scope. We define the reader’s question and what the page will and will not answer.
- Sources. We collect primary and authoritative sources (see “How We Use Sources” below).
- Draft. The page is written in plain English, metric first, for both hemispheres.
- Editorial check. Every number, formula and rule of thumb is traced to a cited source, or labelled clearly as a rule of thumb, or removed. Calculators are checked against the reference tests published on How Our Calculators Work.
- Publication with a date. Checked pages show when they were last updated or reviewed.
- Review. We aim to review each page at least every 12 months, and sooner when a source, standard or tool changes or a reader reports a problem.
Our Editorial Mission
The mission of PassiveSolarArchitecture.com is to make passive solar architecture easier to understand and apply in real-world design conversations.
We create educational content about:
- Passive solar architecture
- Passive solar design principles
- Site and climate analysis
- Solar orientation and building form
- Windows, glazing, and daylighting
- Thermal mass and material choices
- Shading and passive cooling
- Insulation, airtightness, and ventilation
- Passive solar calculations and design tools
- Passive solar vs Passive House
- Climate-responsive residential design
We aim to explain these topics in a way that is useful for both beginners and professionals, without oversimplifying important technical details.
Who We Write For
PassiveSolarArchitecture.com is written for a global audience. Different readers come to this topic with different goals and levels of experience.
| Audience | Editorial Goal | Start Here |
|---|---|---|
| Architects and Designers | Support better early design decisions with passive solar principles, building science, and practical tools. | For Architects |
| Self-Builders and Homeowners | Explain the basics clearly before land purchase, design approval, or construction. | For Self-Builders |
| Investors and Developers | Help readers evaluate site potential, design risk, climate response, and long-term comfort. | For Investors |
| Students and Educators | Provide clear explanations of passive solar and climate-responsive design concepts. | Learn |
Editorial Principles
Every article, guide, calculator page, glossary entry, and case study should follow these editorial principles.
1. Clarity
We explain technical topics in plain English. Passive solar design includes many complex ideas, but content should be understandable without unnecessary jargon.
2. Technical Responsibility
We avoid exaggerated or universal claims. Passive solar design depends on climate, latitude, site orientation, glazing, shading, thermal mass, insulation, airtightness, ventilation, construction quality, and user behavior.
3. Climate Awareness
We do not present one rule as correct for every location. A design strategy that works in a cold climate may fail in a hot-humid climate. A solution for the Northern Hemisphere may need to be reversed in the Southern Hemisphere.
4. Practical Usefulness
Our content should help readers make better decisions, ask better questions, and understand design trade-offs. Where useful, we include checklists, tables, examples, workflows, diagrams, calculators, and FAQs.
5. Honest Limits
Passive solar design can improve comfort and reduce energy demand when designed well, but it does not automatically eliminate heating, cooling, or mechanical systems. We aim to explain both benefits and limitations.
6. Clear Distinctions
We clearly distinguish between passive solar design, solar panels, active solar systems, net-zero buildings, and Passive House certification.
How We Approach Technical Accuracy
Passive solar architecture sits between architectural design, building science, climate analysis, energy performance, and practical construction. Because of this, technical accuracy matters.
When creating content, we aim to:
- Explain assumptions clearly
- Avoid unsupported performance claims
- Show where local climate data is needed
- Describe design trade-offs honestly
- Recommend professional review when project-specific decisions are involved
- Use cautious language for rules of thumb and early-stage estimates
- Separate educational guidance from professional design advice
Where numbers, formulas, ratios, or standards are discussed, they should be presented with context and limitations. Passive solar design is project-specific, and simplified guidance should not be treated as final design instruction.
Climate-Specific Guidance
Climate dependence is a central part of our editorial approach.
We aim to explain how passive solar strategies change across:
- Cold climates
- Temperate climates
- Hot-dry climates
- Hot-humid climates
- Mixed climates
- Southern Hemisphere design contexts
For example, equator-facing glazing may support useful winter solar gain in some cold or temperate climates, but similar glazing without shading may create overheating in warm or mixed climates.
To avoid Northern Hemisphere bias, we use the term equator-facing glazing where appropriate. In the Northern Hemisphere, this usually means south-facing glazing. In the Southern Hemisphere, this usually means north-facing glazing.
For more climate-specific guidance, visit Climate Guides and Passive Solar Design by Climate.
How We Use Sources
We aim to support technical content with credible references where appropriate. Sources may include building science resources, energy agencies, standards organizations, academic publications, professional guidance, climate data sources, and reputable architecture or sustainability organizations.
We use sources to support:
- Definitions
- Technical explanations
- Building science principles
- Climate and energy concepts
- Performance-related statements
- Standards or certification explanations
When a topic requires local or current information, readers should verify it with local building codes, climate data, product specifications, professional consultants, or official standards bodies.
For more information, visit Sources / References.
Content Review and Updates
Passive solar design principles are stable, but building codes, standards, products, software tools, climate data sources, and best practices can change over time.
We review and update content when:
- A technical explanation needs improvement
- A source becomes outdated or unavailable
- A calculator, tool, or internal link changes
- A reader reports an error or unclear section
- New guidance, standards, or research affects the topic
- A page can be made more useful, accurate, or easier to understand
Dates on Our Pages
- Last updated means a substantive change: facts, numbers, methods, recommendations or sources.
- Last reviewed means the page was checked against its sources and no substantive change was needed.
Fixing a typo, a broken link or the layout changes neither date. A page without a date has not yet been through our current editorial check. Older content should be interpreted in context and checked against current local requirements before being used for project decisions.
Corrections Policy
We welcome corrections and technical feedback. If you find an error, outdated reference, unclear explanation, broken link, or misleading statement, please contact us.
When submitting a correction, include:
- The page title or URL
- The section where the issue appears
- A short explanation of the concern
- A reliable source or reference, if relevant
We review correction requests and update content when a change improves accuracy, clarity, or usefulness. Substantive corrections are noted at the end of the page with the date.
To send feedback, visit Contact.
Calculator and Tool Policy
PassiveSolarArchitecture.com may include calculators, checklists, templates, and design tools to support early-stage learning and design thinking.
These tools are intended for:
- Education
- Conceptual design support
- Early feasibility review
- Comparing basic design options
- Understanding relationships between sun, windows, shading, and thermal mass
They are not a replacement for professional calculations, detailed energy modeling, HVAC design, structural engineering, building code review, or project-specific architectural design.
Tool results depend on assumptions and user inputs. They should be checked carefully before being used in real design decisions.
Explore available tools here: Passive Solar Design Tools.
Case Study Policy
Case studies are used to show how passive solar design principles may apply in real or representative project situations.
A useful passive solar case study should explain:
- Climate and site context
- Building orientation
- Window and glazing strategy
- Shading and overheating control
- Thermal mass and materials
- Insulation, airtightness, and ventilation
- Design trade-offs and limitations
- Lessons learned
We publish case studies only when we can document a real project, or when an example is clearly labelled as illustrative. Case studies should not be copied directly as ready-made plans. Passive solar design must be adapted to each site, climate, budget, code environment, and construction system.
Explore case studies here: Passive Solar Case Studies.
Independence and Commercial Content
The guides and the five calculators are free and will stay free. We don’t run advertising or publish sponsored content. The site is funded by our own paid product, the Passive Solar Home Design Toolkit, and by affiliate links: some links to products on other websites, such as Amazon, are affiliate links, and if you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Commissions never decide what we recommend, and our own product is always identified as ours. We only link to products that fit the topic of the page, and pages that contain affiliate links say so.
We don’t accept payment for coverage, and product or brand mentions on our pages are not paid placements. If this ever changes, this policy and the affected pages will say so first.
External Links Policy
We may link to external websites when they provide useful context, references, tools, standards, research, or educational value.
External links may include:
- Government energy resources
- Building science organizations
- Research institutions
- Professional standards bodies
- Climate data sources
- Architecture and sustainability resources
External websites are not controlled by PassiveSolarArchitecture.com. Their content, availability, policies, and accuracy may change over time. Readers should verify important information directly with the original source.
Images, Diagrams, and Visual Content
Images, diagrams, tables, and charts may be used to explain passive solar concepts such as sun path, shading, thermal mass, orientation, glazing, and heat flow.
Visual content should be used to improve understanding, not to decorate pages without purpose.
Where possible, images should include descriptive alt text that helps users and search engines understand the visual topic.
Examples of useful visual content include:
- Sun path diagrams
- Seasonal shading diagrams
- Window orientation diagrams
- Thermal mass heat flow diagrams
- Passive solar section drawings
- Climate strategy comparison charts
AI-Assisted Content Policy
AI-assisted tools may be used to support research, drafting, analysis, or quality-control workflows. Published material is reviewed and edited against the site’s editorial standards before publication.
AI tools are not used to invent sources, statistics, case studies, standards, quotations, reviews or technical claims.
No Professional Advice
PassiveSolarArchitecture.com provides educational information only.
The content on this website is not a substitute for:
- Licensed architectural services
- Structural engineering
- Mechanical or HVAC design
- Energy modeling
- Building code review
- Planning or permitting advice
- Legal advice
- Financial or investment advice
- Construction supervision
For real projects, readers should consult qualified professionals who understand the local climate, regulations, construction methods, building codes, and project requirements.
For more legal information, visit Terms of Use.
How We Handle Uncertainty
Passive solar design often involves uncertainty because buildings are affected by climate, occupant behavior, material quality, construction detailing, maintenance, and future site changes.
When uncertainty matters, our content should:
- State assumptions clearly
- Explain that local data may be required
- Recommend professional review where appropriate
- Avoid presenting rules of thumb as final answers
- Explain possible trade-offs
For example, a roof overhang rule may be useful for early thinking, but final shading design should consider latitude, window height, facade orientation, climate, local sun angles, and project geometry.
Internal Linking Policy
We use internal links to help readers move from basic explanations to more detailed guides, tools, and case studies.
Internal links should be relevant and helpful. They should guide readers toward related topics such as:
- Start Here
- Learn
- Resources
- Climate Guides
- Passive Solar Design Tools
- Passive Solar Case Studies
- Glossary
Good internal linking helps readers understand passive solar architecture as a connected system rather than a set of isolated tips.
Reader Feedback
Reader feedback helps improve the website. We welcome suggestions for:
- New passive solar topics
- Clearer explanations
- Additional diagrams or examples
- Calculator improvements
- Case study ideas
- Corrections to technical content
- Broken links or formatting issues
To send feedback, visit Contact.
Related Pages
Final Note
This Editorial Policy is designed to support trustworthy, useful, and responsible passive solar education. Passive solar architecture can improve building design when it is adapted to climate, site, construction quality, and occupant needs.
Our commitment is to explain those ideas clearly, avoid exaggerated claims, and help readers make better-informed decisions.
Next step: check your own project
Try the ideas on your own project with the free passive solar design tools. It is free and runs in your browser.
Keep your results in one place
The free Passive Solar Design Checklist & Project Brief is a printable PDF with pages for your site’s sun angles, orientation, glazing per facade, shading and thermal mass, plus 12 questions to take to your architect or designer.