This research investigated homeowner rationale for, and feelings about, living in passive solar homes. Satisfaction, use, and extent of involvement with the home and solar features were determined. Twenty-eight owners of passive solar homes from the state of Virginia participated in this study. Data were collected by a hand-delivered questionnaire which was self-administered.

Frequency and percentage distributions were calculated to describe the sample and characterize the findings from the study. Findings that were of a significant nature indicated that a vast majority of respondents felt that saving money on fuel bills was a major factor in their decision to live in passive solar homes. Over three-fourths of the homeowners sought information about solar energy utilization in order to make an educated choice. Over half were responsible for the building or modification of the homes and were directly involved with the functioning of their solar systems. All of these solar features were rated OK-to-high as functional units.

Slightly more than half of the homeowners described unanticipated benefits as well as complaints related to their homes. Savings on fuel bills resulted in feelings of independence from utility companies for many of the respondents. Several were also pleased with their new awareness of nature and the weather. Areas of dissatisfaction were most often related to construction techniques. Others noted that cooling in the summer and heating in the winter posed problems. Almost half of the respondents reported changes in room use in their current residence as compared to previous non-solar homes. There appears to be a trend toward a more functional design, and multipurpose use of rooms incorporated into passive solar homes. Over half had a thermal mass in the floor and were satisfied with the hard floor surface. A majority had not purchased specific furnishings that they felt would perform well in their solar home and have had no problem with fading. Overall, homeowners were satisfied with the general interior, exterior, and overall features of their passive solar homes.