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Passive Solar Design - Cement and Concrete Association of

Australia
Engineering Practice 6 - Sustainable Infrastructure Design (Royal Melbourne Institute of
Technology)

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09
APR
2003

■ Reducing Energy Demands

■ Passive Solar Systems
■ Physical Principles
■ Design Basics

Passive Solar Design

Energy Efficiency Through Passive Solar Design

Passive solar design concepts are particularly suited to temperate and arid zones.
Adelaide, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra and Sydney all lie within warm,
mild and cool temperate zones.

Introduction durable and readily available building material.

Life cycle analyses have demonstrated that the
majority of energy in a building is consumed in
operational energy or during the post-
occupancy phase of a building's life.
A universally accepted method of reducing the
energy demands of active or mechanical means
of heating and cooling buildings is through
passive solar design. Additionally, by using
durable, long-life materials and materials that
lower operational energy through fabric energy
storage or thermal mass, significant energy
savings can be made. Concrete is an extremely
In addition to its thermal mass characteristics it
is ideally placed as a key feature of passive solar
design. This briefing provides an overview of the
key issues concerning passive solar design and
design guidance on how to best incorporate
these principles early in the design phase.
Reducing Energy Demands
The operational energy demands of buildings
can be reduced by incorporating passive solar
design principles appropriate to the local
climate in the preliminary design stage.

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Figure 1 Climate map (Courtesy of Australian Building Codes Board,
© Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2002)
Eight climate zones have been
identified in Australia Figure 1:
■ Zone 1: Tropical, high humidity
summer, warm winter.
■ Zone 2: Sub-tropical, warm humid
summer, mild winter.
■ Zone 3: Hot arid summer, warm
winter.
■ Zone 4: Hot arid summer,
cool winter.
■ Zone 5: Warm temperate
■ Zone 6: Mild temperate
■ Zone 7: Cool temperate
■ Zone 8: Alpine
Passive solar design concepts are
particularly suited to the temperate
and arid zones listed above. Adelaide,
Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra
and Sydney all lie within warm, mild
and cool temperate zones so that
most of the Australian population
lives within these three climatic
zones, Zones 5, 6 and 7.
In these zones, passive solar
design exploits insulated solid or
heavy building materials such as
concrete panel walls and floor
slabs and clay brick masonry for
their value-added characteristics
in conjunction with the difference
in altitude angle of the sun in the
sky between summer and winter.
By harnessing the natural
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cooler months, these elements
collect solar energy through
windows, storing it in the high-mass
floor slab/walls/ceilings, releasing it
only when the air temperature drops
below that of the walls and floor. This
system uses the heat-storage
capacity or thermal mass of the
building materials to moderate
extremes of temperature in both
summer and winter.
Passive Solar Systems
Most passive solar designs are of the
direct-gain type where sunlight
entering through generally north-
facing windows falls onto an element
of the building suitable for absorbing
and storing of heat, usually a
concrete slab floor, with additional
storage provided by solid internal
walling Figure 2. There are many
indirect gain systems - including the
Trombe-Michel wall, the greenhouse,
the greenhouse and rock bin, the
advantage of high mass together Baer drum-wall, water-roofs and
with the heat of the sun - or solar thermo-siphon systems - all of which
energy - more comfortable living are well documented.
conditions can be achieved with However, the direct gain system
reduced reliance on space heating is most often used because it
or cooling, and subsequent relatively easily achieved through the
reduced energy demands. provision of generous north-facing
Concrete floors, solid internal glass in any design styles.
and external walls, north-facing Additionally, it does not increase
windows and insulated roofs can be construction costs as it relies on
used in passive solar design. In the traditional building materials such
as a concrete floor built as a slab-on-
ground. With 80% of new housing in
SUMMER Australia being built on a concrete
SOLSTICE
December 22 slab floor, it makes sense to
EQUINOX
March 21/
capitalise on this asset and exploit its
September 23 thermal mass resulting in greater
energy efficiency for the users.
WINTER
SOLSTICE
June 21
Direct Gain - Heating Cycle
An otherwise appropriately designed
79°
building should aim to have north-
facing glazing of a size approximately
one-fifth the floor area of the rooms
to be warmed by the direct-gain
56°
method. Where a mild winter climate
33°
is experienced, the ratio of north-facing
glass to area of rooms heated by direct
gain may be as low as one eighth.
Having provided adequate
Figure 2 Typical altitude angles at northern glazing for the living area,
12.00pm for north-facing wall, the effect of direct gain heating
latitude 350 South (Sydney NSW, should be optimised as follows:
Canberra ACT, Adelaide, Albany WA) ■ Use concrete as floor slabs, wall
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Reflective foil sarking Insulated ceiling a two-metre-wide strip along this

northern edge and insulating the
Pelmet-hung heavy curtain outer face of internal masonry
to be drawn after sunset
leaf of external walls may also be
Direct and reflected
considered Figures 4 and 5.
radiation absorbed
by heavy-weight
walling elements Direct Gain - Cooling Cycle
such as concrete
panels or masonry A common failure of many low-
energy designs in temperate
Low-angled winter sun Australia is that they cater only for
penetrates under eaves
the winter heating cycle and forget
the summer cooling cycle. It is vital
to provide cross-ventilation in a
building in summer to not only
North-facing, concrete floor supply fresh air but also:
warmed by solar radiation
■ Give instantaneous cooling
Figure 3 Direct gain-heating cycle whenever the inside temperature
is higher than the outside one;
■ Remove overnight the heat stored
economically viable Figure 3. in the building fabric during the
Heavy-weight walls of
concrete panel or ■ Insulate the ceiling to prevent heat day commonly referred to as night
masonry
loss from the thermal stores purging; and
Concrete floor slab during the day and from the room ■ Provide the feeling of cooling on
at night and specify R-values for the skin by accelerating its
all relevant elements (walls, evaporative cooling (this can also
floors) and introduce energy be provided by the use of fans,
Damproof
membrane
efficiency measures in accordance particularly ceiling fans) Figure 6
with the Building Code of Solar shading should be
Building-grade polystyrene board protected Australia. configured over the northern
with fibre-cement sheeting
■ Seal around all wall penetrations windows to exclude access to most
Figure 4 Slab-edge insulation in to prevent heat loss by excessive summer sun to the interior spaces.
severe cold climate areas air leaks. Additionally, it is desirable to provide
■ Ideally carpets or rugs should not extra shading by a pergola planted
Insulate outer face
of heavy-weight
be laid over slabs receiving winter with deciduous vines, brise soleil or
(concrete wall sunlight. adjustable (fabric or metal) blinds on
panels or masonry)
internal leaf. ■ Insulate the edges of the slab- the northern windows to protect
Insulation materials on-ground floor, especially the them from heat gain in unseasonably
such as styrene-
foam board or northern edge that acts as the hot weather occurring in early
External Internal single-sided
leaf leaf reflective-foil prime heat store, reducing heat autumn or late spring.
laminates, should
be installed in
loss to the earth. Thickening of As the outside air temperature
accordance with the slab to the depth of 250mm in increases during a summer day the
manufacturer's
instructions

INTERIOR
Reflective foil sarking Insulated ceiling

Figure 5 Insulation of cavity wall

Open windows allow
in severe cold climate areas cross-ventilation

panels, structural elements - such

as beams and columns - ceiling
soffits or interior features such as
cabinetry benchtops, staircases.
Heavy-weight walls
■ In temperate and cool temperate (of concrete panels or masonry)
zones insulate the windows with Eaves shade glass
and concrete floor, absorb
heat from internal air
pelmet-hung, close-fitting, heavy from high-angled
summer sun
wall furnishings such as curtains,
which should be drawn after
sunset. In severely cold climates Concrete floor temperature modified
by cool, deep-earth temperature
double glazing or insulated
window shutters may prove Figure 6 Direct gain-cooling cycle

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inside air temperature is modified by

the walls and floor absorbing heat
from the air. Additional efficiencies
can be introduced into the direct-gain
cooling cycle by: Up to 95% of
heat energy
■ Fostering vegetation near the absorbed
southern-side openings used for Up to 90% passes
ventilation - if these plants are straight through
Approximately As little as Up to
watered in summer the air 10% reflected 5% reflected 70% reflected
passing through them will be CLEAR GLASS ROUGH BLACK SURFACE SMOOTH WHITE SURFACE
partly cooled before entering the
internal space; Figure 8 Incident solar radiation
■ Planting deciduous trees or vines
on the northern and western sides Up to 53% of solar radiation Glasshouse Principle
of a building to provide shade in intercepted by earth is reflected back The characteristic of glass to
summer and admit sunlight in into space. Latitude and local climatic transmit nearly all solar (short-wave)
winter; factors further reduce the amount of radiation it intercepts while at the
■ In sub-tropical and tropical humid radiation received. Australia generally same time absorbing most thermal
zones and in humid areas of other receives about 47% of solar radiation (long-wave) radiation is important.
zones, adopting a design with a entering the atmosphere.
ventilated space between the
roofing and the ceiling; Incident Radiation Insulated ceiling

■ Adding suitable insulation under When sunlight strikes a surface,

the roofing material. radiation waves may be reflected,
transmitted or absorbed in any Heavy floor and
Glass is walls store and
Physical Principles combination depending on the transparent re-radiate heat
surface texture and colour and on to short-wave
solar radiation
The Nature of Solar Energy the clarity of the material Figure 8.
The sun's energy travels through A rough surface scatters reflected
space as a wide spectrum of waves; sunlight, while a smooth surface
the shortest is less than a millionth reflects it uniformly at the angle of
of a centimetre, the longest more incidence. A white glossy surface will
than a kilometre. Solar radiation is reflect more than 80% of the solar
classified by the length of these radiation falling on it, while a rough Glass deflects long-wave, re-radiated
heat which heats the inside air resulting
waves. Some 95% of heat energy black surface may reflect only five in higher temperature inside than out
radiating from the sun is contained in percent. Clear materials, such as
a relatively small segment of short glass, allow almost 90% of the solar Figure 9 The glasshouse principle
waves in the spectrum Figure 7. radiation to pass straight through.
The temperature build-up in a
closed car on a sunny but cold day is
evidence of the dual characteristic of
Some solar radiation is glass. Solar energy, streaming in
reflected by the earth
and the atmosphere through the windows is absorbed by
interior materials and re-radiated as
long-wave radiation to the interior
space, but is unable to pass through
the glass to the outside. The re-
radiated long-wave thermal radiation
ATMOSPHERE is then deflected back to the interior
thus heating it even further. This
Solar radiation principle is used to grow plants in
passes through the
clear atmosphere Some infra-red radiation is cold climates inside glass-houses or
absorbed and re-emitted by
the greenhouse gasses, thus greenhouses Figure 9.
Infra-red radiation warming the earth's surface
Most radiation is is emitted from the and the lower atmosphere
absorbed by the earth's surface
earth's surface and Heat Storage Capacity
warms it
EARTH Any material that absorbs solar
radiation is heated. The amount of
heat that can be stored in that
material is measured by its
Figure 7 The nature of solar radiation volumetric heat capacity, a function

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Table 1 tuation between extremes of temp-

erature in both summer and winter.

Thickness Density R-value C-Value Thermal Mass

Thermal Capacitance
Material (mm) (kg/m2) (m2K/W) (kJ/m2K) The physical principles of solar
thermal energy have been outlined to
Solid Concrete Wall 150 2300 0.26 300 describe the receipt, absorption and
storage of this free energy source. In
Solid Concrete Wall
temperate climates insulated solid
or Floor Slab 100 2300 0.23 200
walls and floors have an advantage in
Clay Masonry Veneer 110 1600 0.18* 163* conditioning the internal environment
Timber Frame/ due to diurnal temperature swings
Weatherboard Cladding 12 500 0.47 12 and the time lag decrement of the
Glass Curtain Wall 6 2500 0.16 1 thermal mass. In winter the thermal
mass in a correctly designed space
* As measured by CSIRO will store daily heat gains to be
distributed later in the day when
of a material's density and specific In hot weather thermally massive temperatures drop. Similarly, in
heat. The higher the volumetric floors and walls absorb heat from the summer heat, the slab acts as a
heat capacity, the greater the internal air. When insulated from the giant cooling element. The floor slab
material's potential for the storage outside air temperature, thermally benefits from the earth's near-
of solar energy Table 1. massive elements reduce the fluc- constant low temperature and links
Concrete and solid masonry
materials possess a natural
advantage in heat storage capacity
(thermal mass) which is magnified by
the normal thickness or volume of
these materials when used in
construction. Hence, concrete floors
and solid masonry walls provide
useful thermal mass in a building.
The use of concrete slab floors
for thermal mass is particularly
important, as most of the sunlight
passing through the windows falls on
the floor. Favourably conducting
surface materials such as quarry
tiles, slate or vinyl should be used on
floors receiving sunlight if the slab is
to be covered for aesthetic reasons.
Increasingly, concrete floor slabs are
left polished as exposed or patterned
floor finishes. While there is some
advantage in a darker colour if most
of the floor is actually sunlit, there is
also advantage in using mid-range
coloured materials if only part of the
floor is in the sun at any one time.
Reflecting some of the solar
radiation is the most effective way of YARRALUMLA HOUSE
distributing it to other thermally The precast concrete construction incorporates an insulated concrete sandwich
massive surfaces, such as walls, panel system giving a high R-value and thermal mass.The residence is designed
elsewhere in the direct gain space. to passive solar principles.
Insulating floor coverings such as
carpet, cork tiles or coir matting limit Architect Rick Butt, Strine Design
the potential advantages of the Structural Engineer Jerin Hingee
thermal mass of the floor. Building Type Residence. Two storey, detached
High thermal mass is useful in Climate Cool Temperate
areas not exposed to direct or Photography Bernie den Hertog, VR Grafix
reflected solar radiation in two ways.

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to the thermal storage capacity of the
internal skin of solid cavity wall
construction so that the whole reacts
slowly to outside temperature
fluctuations, reducing dependence on
energy for heating or cooling to
produce comfortable internal
temperatures. In sub-tropical,
tropical and alpine zones the benefits
of using high-thermal-mass walling
will be discussed in detail in future
papers. Energy-efficient design
concepts must always be considered
carefully so that the combination of
elements incorporated into a struc-
ture suit local climatic conditions and
the peculiarities of a particular site.
Slab edge insulation is recomm-
ended when slab-embedded electric
cables or water pipes are used for
space heating (and in severe cold
climates as previously mentioned).
In addition, the benefit from
the area of a concrete slab that
receives direct solar radiation can
be optimised as a storage medium
if it is thickened or it is insulated
from the ground.
The benefits of underground
housing as protection from extremes
of temperature, such as at the opal-
mining town of Coober Pedy in South
Australia, are well known. Mild
climate areas do not justify
completely underground buildings;
er
mm
Su
W N
an
ridi
Me
Observer
S E
Figure 10 Pattern of sun’s seasonal movement
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however, earth-sheltered housing is
very energy efficient. Walls must be
designed as simple retaining walls
that can be achieved economically
with reinforced, concrete-filled,
hollow, concrete blocks. Particular
attention must be paid to
waterproofing the retaining wall and
concrete roof if used. Drainage and
insulation also need to be considered.
Design Basics
Orientation
Residential buildings designed to
capitalise on the benefits of solar
energy should be planned with living
areas placed to admit the sun in the
cooler months. The key to a house
that is naturally warmer in winter
and cooler in summer is the effect of
the combination of the earth's
diurnal rotation about it's axis and
the tilt of the earth's axis in relation
to its orbit around the sun. The diurnal
rotation causes the change from
night to day and the tilted axis
produces summer and winter as the
earth orbits the sun Figure 10.
These phenomena cause the
sun's position in the sky to appear
higher at noon in summer than in
winter and daylight to extend for a
longer period in summer.
It is important to be aware of the
Equin
ox
Zenith
W
in
te
r
Altitudes
at noon
Winter
Azmuth
at sunrise
Eq
uin
ox
Su
mm
er
position of true north, that the sun's
altitude in the sky varies with latitude,
and of the variation this causes to
angles of sun penetration into a room
depending on the location of a site.
There are many publications that
elaborate on this point, of which the
most often used is Sunshine and
Shade in Australasia, R. O. Phillips,
CSIRO Technical report No. 92/2
When glass is oriented to the north
it is essential to provide an eaves
overhang which allows sun penetration
in winter but excludes it in summer.
The extent of this overhang can be
easily calculated according to location
using the eaves overhang design chart
Figure 15. It is also essential to ensure
that plenty of sun can reach the glass
in winter and is not obstructed by
vegetation or neighbouring property.
Design for Climate
Housing should be designed to suit
the particular climate of its location,
for the comfort of its occupants and
for energy efficiency. Climate can
change dramatically within one
climate zone depending on whether
the location is coastal, alpine
(mountainous) or arid (desert) and its
latitude. Climate can also change
markedly from one valley to the next,
by the orientation of a slope or by
the effect of prevailing winds. An
intimate knowledge of the particular
climate of the area in which a house
is to be built is therefore of immense
benefit in designing appropriately for
that location.
Australian climate types can be
summarised as follows:
■ Tropical humid: high humidity
summer, warm winter includes
the remainder of the north-
western, northern and north-
eastern coastline of Australia and
is characterised by high humidity
during the wet season and
moderately high daytime
temperatures throughout the year.
■ Sub-tropical: warm humid
summer, mild winter includes the
coastal area extending from the
northern NSW coast, through
Brisbane, to Mackay.
■ Hot arid summer, warm winter
and hot arid summer, mild winter
where there is a wide range of
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Cold winds
Trees to shield
against wind

Solar heat gain in winter

Deciduous (thermal mass)
shade trees
Pergola

Wall to shade
against late
summer sun

B B F

Creepers on wall
B

K D L carport

Figure 11 Planning for temperate zones

KANGALOON HOUSE
Insulated high thermal mass interior showing internal concrete block walls by Boral Besser, honed face alabaster mix.
The concrete slab on ground, insulated with rigid PVC to 1.4 m around the perimeter, was polished and sealed by the builder.

Architect Peter Stronach, Allen Jack + Cottier in assocation with Tim Allison and Associates
Structural Engineer Taylor Thompson Whitting
Building Type Residence. Two storey, detached
Climate Warm Temperate
Photography Peter Hyatt
Awards Francis Greenway Society Green Building Awards, 2002 Gold Medal

Kangaloon House: Outdoor Terrace

adjacent to living area with verandah
providing climate protection and
summer shading to the residence.

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temperature in summer, with very

high daytime temperatures of 35
to 40°C and cooler night-time
Extract ventilation
conditions of 20 to 25°C with
varying breezes. Locations such
as Alice Springs can benefit
significantly from passive solar cross-
design coupled with high thermal ventilation

mass construction.
■ Warm temperate characterised
by hot summers and cool to
chilly but generally sunny winters
Major urban centres located in
this zone include Perth, Adelaide
and Sydney.
■ Mild temperate consisting of the
coastal areas from the south of
Adelaide through to Melbourne
and further around the coast to
the south of Wollongong.
Additionally, west southern coastal
areas from Albany to Pemberton
and inland from Esperance to the
south of Belladonia. Inland areas
of South Australia, Victoria and
New South Wales are also
included. Summer temperatures
generally average at about 270C
and so the demand for cooling is
low although designs must
prevent overheating in summer.
There is however a universal need
for winter heating.
■ Cool temperate including most of
Tasmania, inland western district
of Victoria, some areas of the Snowy
Mountains and central tablelands of
NSW, Canberra, and the Victorian
High Range Country. The major
design consideration is winter
Sunlight
Natural cross-
light ventilation
Figure 12 Ventilation strategies
efficient for both winter heating and Hot arid climates demand
summer cooling. This orientation massive construction with ability to
allows for maximum glazing to the night purge with cool breezes and
north and minimum east-west cross ventilation to re-charge the
exposure to morning and afternoon thermal mass for the following day.
sun Figure 11. Humid climates demand a focus on
This does not mean that all cross-ventilation, particularly in
buildings must be so oriented. the bedrooms Figures 12, 13 and 14.
Different building shapes can be
designed which satisfy the particular Inside Spaces
problems of each site by using the When the location, general
shape of the building, number of orientation and shape of the building
levels, and particularly effective is decided, the organisation of
glazing including the use of interior spaces is the next
clerestory windows and roof lights, consideration. In temperate climates
combined with adequate shading. living spaces should be placed along
Courtyard walls screen
against wind and dust
Outdoor living

heating, but it is also important Pergola with

to avoid overheating in summer. adjustable
shading
■ Alpine areas are limited to high
Massive
altitude areas of Tasmania, Small windows construction
Victorian High Range Country, K D L
Snowy Mountains and the central
tablelands of NSW.

A thorough knowledge of the Courtyard for Sliding doors

micro-climate of a particular site, the evening use for breeze

direction of cooling summer breezes,

cold winter winds, wind-borne dust,
etc should be the most important Lightweight
Garage B B B construction
influence on design and are
summarised below.

Planning Garage shades wall

from late afternoon sun
In temperate climates buildings that
are longer in the east-west than in
the north-south direction are more Figure 13 Planning for hot arid zones

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Trees to
shield from
wind

Vertical shading

Bulk-insulated
L F wall

Bulk-
insulated Privacy screen Ceiling fans
wall

D K
Carport
B B B

Opening panels or louver walls

for cross-ventilation

Figure 14 Planning for sub-tropical humid zones

MULLUMBIMBY HOUSE
High thermal mass internal elements include concrete floor slab, concrete fireplace hearth, concrete panel walling. Additionally
handmade Balinese temple blocks seen in the foreground were hand tamped in a traditional high-repeat use mould.

Architect Chris Barnett, Sustainable Built Environments

Structural Engineer Phil Wallace
Building Type Residence. Two storey, detached
Climate Sub-tropical Humid
Photography Rod Bell

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the north face of the building. Least
occupied spaces - such as storage
areas, circulation areas and garages
- should be placed along the south
where they act as a buffer between
living space and the cooler southern
wall. Rooms that may benefit from
morning sunlight, like bedrooms,
bathrooms or kitchen areas should
be on the east wall. However,
children's bedrooms can benefit from
northern sunlight if they are to be
used extensively for play or study.
Attention should always be given to
particular local climatic conditions.
Walls, Windows and Doors
Internal walls can add substantially
to the thermal mass of a building.
External walls should act as
insulation surrounding thermally
massive internal elements.
Windows are necessary for light
and ventilation and play an important
role in the collection and retention of
solar radiant energy. In each wall,
however, they need to be treated
differently.
■ North-facing walls have the
greatest potential exposure to
sunlight with ample heat-
absorbing and storage material
behind the glass. However, they
must be provided with appropriate
sunshading devices such as eaves
to allow winter sun penetration
but exclude summer sun.
■ Full-height glazing in the northern
wall of a house is often provided
by sliding glass doors opening
onto a patio or verandah.
■ East-facing walls may have a few
windows intended to catch
morning sunlight that can be
pleasant in any season in a
temperate climate, however
north-east orientation should be
used judiciously it is a potential
source of excessive solar gain in
summer months.
■ South-facing walls never get
useful direct sunlight in temperate
Australia. As a result the south
walls should have only the
minimum area of windows
required for lighting, ventilation
and to admit cooling summer
breezes or double glazing if the
views are to the south.
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■ West-facing walls should also
have minimal windows and be
shaded with external awnings,
verandahs or deciduous
vegetation against the penetration
of the low summer afternoon sun.
■ In temperate and cold climates all
openings in a wall such as
windows, doors or any other
penetration should be sealed
around their perimeter to prevent
seepage of air (infiltration).
The front and rear entry
doors, because of their frequent
use, deserve special
consideration. Infiltration around
the frames may be controlled
with self-adhesive sponge or
mohair strips and a draught-
excluder bar at the threshold. By
recessing entry doors, protection
against prevailing winds
improves the performance of the
door sealing. The planning of a
small enclosed space or entry
vestibule may be considered to
act as an air lock, preventing
further losses, especially in cool
temperate climates. For rear
doors, a laundry may provide this
vestibule space.
Conclusion
Most of Australia's population lives in
temperate Australia with smaller
seasonal climatic variations and
consequently low heating and cooling
costs compared to Europe or North
America. Significant increases in the
capital cost to buildings to save
energy are unnecessary where
design incorporates passive solar
techniques that require little or no
extra capital outlay. Climate
responsive techniques can also be
applied to those areas where climatic
changes are most extreme,
by including modifications such as
particular attention to ventilation in
humid areas, or double glazing, extra
insulation and heavy curtains on
areas of extreme cold in winter.
If buildings are correctly planned
with regard to orientation and solar
penetration, and the most
advantageous materials are then
selected and used with an
understanding of their physical
properties - particularly thermal
mass - then comfortable living
conditions will be achieved, resulting
in reduced demand on energy for
space heating or cooling.
The following are various passive
design concepts worthy of
consideration when building in
temperate regions of Australia:
■ Use insulated concrete elements
such as slab-on-ground floors, wall
panels, ceiling/roof slabs and
suspended upper storey floors to act
as exposed internal thermal mass;
■ Plan for maximum north
orientation of windows with
shading strategies for
warmers months;
■ If a concrete slab is to be covered
with applied finishes, provide hard
surfaces such as tiles;
■ Carefully design sunshading such
as eaves, verandahs or building
overhangs and provide windows
with blinds or curtain;
■ Reduce windows in walls other
than north-facing or specify as
double glazing;
■ Plant deciduous trees and shrubs
for summer shade;
■ Consider earth sheltered
construction; and
■ Consider extending the thickened
area of the northern slab edge
where sunlight falls.
These two points are true for all
Australian climates;
■ Insulate the edges of the concrete
slab-on-ground in severe cold
climate areas;
■ Foster plentiful foliage around
southern summer air intakes.
 lOMoARcPSD|5202625

TIME OF THE YEAR 22 Dec

16 Jan (summer solstice)
Arrows show
direction of
travel of 26 Feb
27 Nov
sun

21 Mar

Eq
17 Oct

ui
no
14 April

x 23 Sept
LATITUDE (degrees)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
26 May 31 Aug
0.00

19 July 0.05
21 June
(winter solstice)
0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

COEFFICIENT, C
0.30

E 0.35

0.40

0.45
0.50
0.55
0.60
E=CxH
0.65
H Where 0.70
C = Coefficient
from the chart 0.75
0.80
0.85
0.90
0.95
1.00

Example, 5° latitude ■

Darwin ■

Cairns ■

Townsville ■

Mackay ■ Mount Isa ■ Port Hedland ■

Rockhampton ■ Alice Springs ■

Brisbane ■

Geraldton ■

Port Macquarie ■ Tamworth ■ Kalgoorlie ■

Broken Hill ■ Perth ■

Newcastle ■ Whyalla ■ Bunbury ■

Sydney ■ Bathurst ■

Canberra ■ Wagga Wagga ■ Adelaide ■ Albany ■

Albury ■

Bendigo ■

Melbourne ■

Launceston ■

Figure 15 Eaves overhang design chart Hobart ■

Briefing 09 APRIL 2003 - Page 11

Downloaded by ?? ? (leechunyin19950710@gmail.com)

09
APR
2003
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Steve King - Associate Director
Centre for Sustainable Built
Environments (SOLARCH)
University of New South Wales
Geoff Clark
Troppo Queensland
Dr Richard Hyde - Director
Centre for Sustainable Design
University of Queensland
Rick Butt - Architect
Strine Homes
This publication replaces:
Kell, D. (ed.), Energy Saving Using
Passive Solar Design - G71, Cement
and Concrete Association of
Australia, 1994.
REFERENCES
Glass, J., Fabric Energy Storage with
Precast Concrete, Oxford Centre for
Sustainable Development, Oxford
Brookes University, 2000.
Vale, B. & Vale, R. 2000, The
Autonomous House, Thames and
Hudson.
Thomas, G. & Donn, M., Designing
Comfortable Homes, Cement and
Concrete Association of New Zealand
& Energy Efficiency Conservation
Council 2001.
lOMoARcPSD|5202625
Munn, C. & Gjerde, M., Building
Comfortable Homes, Cement and
Concrete Association of New Zealand
& Energy Efficiency Conservation
Council, 2002.
Slattery, K. & Guirguis, S.,
Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings
in Australia, Cement and Concrete
Association of Australia,
(www.concrete.net.au), 2001.
Kwok, G. (ed.), Concrete Panel Homes
Handbook, Cement and Concrete
Association of Australia, 2001.
Nervegna, L. (ed.), MIX Volume 10,
Cement and Concrete Association of
Australia, 2002.
Phillips, R. O., (6th Edition) Sunshine
and Shade in Australia; Technical
Report 92/2, CSIRO Division of
Building Construction and
Engineering, 1992.
Roaf, S., Fuentes, M. & Thomas, S.,
Ecohouse: A Design Guide,
Architectural Press, 2001.
Ballinger J A et al, Energy Efficient
Australian Housing, Secondary
Edition, Australian Government
Publishing Service, 1992.
Downloaded by ?? ? (leechunyin19950710@gmail.com)
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