Solar sunspaces operate in a different way from sunrooms and greenhouses. These collect solar heat to distribute throughout the home. Since, there are no mechanical devices required; it is type of passive solar heating. This system is economical and does not cost much for its maintenance.

Solar energy is the most powerful and popular source of alternative energy. It can be used to harness sunlight. Solar energy can be used in various ways and through various techniques. Two major types of solar heating systems are active and passive.

Sun is the source of energy for our planet. It provides light and is used to heat the planet. The energy of sun is now being incorporated in building designs by using the principle of indirect gain. This solar energy is in turn used to heat the building by use of water walls, trombe walls, sun rooms and solar ponds.

Isolated solar gain is a type of passive solar heating there no mechanical devices used for the circulation of the heat throughout the home. Solar spaces are used for collecting heat and that heat is transferred to parts of living area by using conductors. These sunspaces have dark colored to absorb the solar heat.

Roof ponds are gaining popularity as the house warming as well as cooling devices. They use solar energy to warm the house through the process of convection. The best feature of solar roof ponds is that they are extremely cost efficient.

Isolated solar gain is regarded as the gain that explains the transfer of heat energy from an isolated place to another place. It is considered as a passive solar gain, and it doesn’t require any mechanical device like pumps and fans for the transferring process.

Solar integral collector storage units are the type of passive solar heating system. These units work without any any help from mechanical tools or electrical devices. These units can be built at home without any expert help.

There is a very thin line between direct and indirect solar gain that differentiate both the techniques. The materials used are some, but the placement is dissimilar. Direct gain is a type of passive solar gain, which explains the collection, storage, and distribution of heat energy through convection.

In active solar heating there are pumps and fans are used for solar heating. Active system is classified into liquid and air-based solar heating. In air-based air is used for transferring heat but this method is less efficient that the liquid-based heating system. In liquid-based system liquid is used for moving solar heat.

Solar water heaters are used heat up the water, these heaters mainly use two systems of heating those are active and passive systems. The working capacity of these heaters increases in hot climate. In the solar water heating system three types of collectors are used. The collector used depends upon the requirement of that system.

There are three main types of thermal water heating collectors. All of these work on different principals and with different requirements. All of these are equally efficient but their installation and costs are different from each other.