1 Mechanical Application in

Buildings (AE - 331)

Chapter 5: Passive and Low Energy Alternatives

Associ. Prof. Khaled Harby

Mechanical Engineering Department

Sunday from 15:16 Pm - Thursday from 9:10,40 Am Lect. 4 # 24/9/2019

Solar Water Heating Systems in Buildings
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Solar systems in buildings can be classified depending on the method of water
moving in the system into:
a) Passive Solar System
The domestic water is circulated through the collector(s) and into the
building by natural force of the hot water.
b) Active Solar System
Pumps are used in the system to circulate the domestic water between the
collectors and building.
Direct Circulation Systems
Pump circulates domestic water through the
collector(s) and into the building. This type of
system works well in climates where it rarely
freezes.
Indirect Circulation Systems
Pump circulates a non‐freezing, heat transfer fluid
through the collector(s) and a heat exchanger. This
type of system works well in climates prone to
freezing temperatures.

Associ. Prof. Khaled Harby., Mech Eng. Dept. Taibah Uni.

Passive and Active systems in buildings
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Passive solar system (thermosyphon) in building
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➢ Passive systems heat potable water and use natural convection to transport it
from the collector to storage tank. The water in the collector expands
becoming less dense as the sun heats it and rises through the collector into the
top of the storage tank. There it is replaced by the cooler water that has sunk
to the bottom of the tank, from which it flows down the collector. The
circulation continuous as long as there is sunshine.
➢ Since the driving force is only a small density difference, larger than normal
pipe sizes must be used to minimise pipe friction. Connecting lines must be
well insulated to prevent heat losses.
Storage tank Hot water
outlet
Auxiliary

Cold
water inlet

Associ. Prof. Khaled Harby., Mech Eng. Dept. Taibah Uni.

Passive solar system (thermosyphon)
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➢ Passive systems heat water and use natural convection to transport it from the
collector to storage tank in the building.
➢ In direct systems (open circuit thermosyphon systems), the potable water from
the storage tank flows continually through the collectors. This occurs when
solar radiation heats the water in the collectors to a temperature above that of
the water stored in the tank. A natural circulation (thermosyphon) is induced
by the associated density difference. The water heated in the collector rises to
the top and is replaced by cooler water from the tank (thermosyphon
principle).
➢ The water in the tank continues to be heated as long as the temperature
difference between the collector and the tank is large enough to maintain the
circulation. As the buoyant forces are relatively small, pipes with a large
cross-section have to be used. In addition, the pipes should be kept as short
and straight as possible to achieve the lowest flow resistance. Thermosyphon
solar systems are widely used in South of Europe, Australia and North Africa.
They are usually used for domestic hot water supply and mounted on flat
roofs.
Associ. Prof. Khaled Harby., Mech Eng. Dept. Taibah Uni.
Typical passive solar system (thermosyphon) in building
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• A direct thermosyphon system must only be installed in non-frost, good quality water
areas.
• Water with high solids content can impair the efficiency of the collector over time due to
calcification of the collector waterways.

Fig.: Simple direct thermosyphon systems for hot water

Associ. Prof. Khaled Harby., Mech Eng. Dept. Taibah Uni.

Typical passive solar system (thermosyphon) in building
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Direct System Advantages
• Service water used directly from collector loop.
• No heat exchanger-more efficient heat transfer to storage.
• Circulation pump (if needed) needs only to overcome friction losses system
pressurized.

Direct System Disadvantages

• Quality of service water must be good to prevent corrosion, scale or deposits in
components.
• Freeze protection depends on mechanical valves.
• Recommended in climates with minimal/no freeze potential, and good water
quality.

Associ. Prof. Khaled Harby., Mech Eng. Dept. Taibah Uni.

Typical passive solar system (thermosyphon) in building
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Indirect System Advantages

• Freeze protection provided by antifreeze fluid or drain back.
• Collector/piping protected from aggressive water.

Indirect System Disadvantages

• Must account for reduced heat transfer efficiency through heat exchanger.
• Added materials = added cost.
• If not using water, fluids require maintenance.
• Most designs require added pumping cost.
Passive solar heating/cooling system in Buildings
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A “passive” solar house provides solar cooling and heating to keep the home
comfortable without the use of any mechanical equipment such as pumps or fans.

Associ. Prof. Khaled Harby., Mech Eng. Dept. Taibah Uni.

Passive solar heating
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• Passive solar heating is just one strategy in a group of design approaches
collectively called passive solar design. When combined properly, these
strategies can contribute to the heating, cooling, and day lighting of nearly any
building.
• Passive solar heating in particular makes use of the building components to
collect, store, and distribute solar heat gains to reduce the demand for space
heating.
• It does not require the use of mechanical equipment because the heat flow is by
natural means (radiation, convection, and conductance) and the thermal storage
is in the structure itself.
• Also, passive solar heating strategies provide opportunities for day lighting and
views to the outdoor through well-positioned windows.
Passive solar heating of a building
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• It is best to incorporate passive solar heating into a building during the initial
design.
• The whole building approach evaluates it in the context of building envelope
design (particularly for windows), day lighting, and heating and cooling
systems. Window design, especially glazing choices, is a critical factor for
determining the effectiveness of passive solar heating.
• Passive solar systems do not have a high initial cost or long-term payback
period, both of which are common with many active solar heating systems.
• In heating climates, large south-facing windows are used, as these have the
most exposure to the sun in all seasons.
• Passive solar systems utilize basic concepts incorporated into the architectural
design of the building.
• They usually consist of: buildings with rectangular floor plans, elongated on
an east-west axis; a glazed south-facing wall; a thermal storage media exposed
to the solar radiation which penetrates the south-facing glazing; overhangs or
other shading devices which sufficiently shade the south-facing glazing from
the summer sun; and windows on the east and west walls, and preferably none
on the north walls.
Passive solar heating of a building
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• Passive solar energy relies purely on the design, positioning and style of
construction of the home (or other building) allowing it to respond to the
environment with nature doing most of the work.
• Then passive solar energy systems are primarily concerned with the design of
buildings.
• Passive solar design focuses on the placement of the home or building and on
windows, ventilation, and insulation to cut down on the need for electricity by
using the sun
Passive solar cooling of a building
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• Passive Solar Cooling is another use of passive solar energy and the opposite
to passive solar heating.
• Passive solar cooling is more about reducing heat build-up rather than about
taking it away.
• Cold is nothing more than the absence of heat and most of us associate
cooling and air-conditioning with self-contained electromechanical HVAC
devices connected to an electric power source, but the need for air
conditioning in the building during the hot summer months can be greatly
reduced or even eliminated by using passive solar cooling.
• Passive cooling systems have the same basic components as passive heating
systems, but work in a different manner.
• Producing cooled air by making use of solar energy may seem a bit odd at first
sight because we tend to view the sun as a source of heat. However, with
passive solar building designs and the use of the right materials it is possible
to remove heat thereby cooling our homes and buildings as well as heating
them using the power of the sun.
Passive solar cooling of a building
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The obvious way of shading a building is with the use of shutters, awnings,
curtains and landscaping with trees, while still admitting a significant amount of
indirect light.
From a passive solar viewpoint, the most effective method of shading is on the
outside of the building using overhangs which block the sun during the summer
months but allow sunlight to enter the building during winter.
When designing with passive solar cooling in mind, heat from solar radiation and
heated air should be kept from reaching the building.
Natural ventilation relies on the natural airflow and breezes through windows on
opposite sides of the building to reduce the need for mechanical cooling when the
building is occupied. Also cross ventilation will help distribute the heat more
evenly around the building keeping it cooler.
Thermal envelope details of Common Practice examples
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Thermal envelope details of Best Practice examples
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Passive Solar Domestic Water Heating Systems: Thermosiphon
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Examples
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Example (1)
A family with 5 members plans to install a solar water heater which is mainly used
for bath. The hot-water temperature required for bath is 50 oC, while the annual
average temperature of cold water is 23 oC. Assuming that each person needs 60
liters of hot water for taking bath a day. How much heat should be provided by the
solar water heater to satisfy the family’s demand for bath?
(Note: water specific heat Cp is assumed to be 1 kcal/kg-к, water density is 1 kg /l)

Associ. Prof. Khaled Harby., Mech Eng. Dept. Taibah Uni.

Examples
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Example (2)
A solar water heater used in home building is equipped with a solar collector of 1
m2, and the daily accumulative insolation onto the collector is 4 kWh/m2-day in
February. If the average efficiency of the solar heater is 0.5, how many kilo-
calories (kcal) of heat can be collected by this solar water heater during a day?
(Note: 1 cal = 4.186J = 4.186 W ×s).

Associ. Prof. Khaled Harby., Mech Eng. Dept. Taibah Uni.

Examples
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Example (3)
From meteorological data, the average daily accumulative insolation in Tainan is
420 cal/cm2day. For a solar collector that faces south with a area of 2 m2 and tilt
angle of 0 degree, what is the daily accumulative insolation onto the collector
surface? (in kWh and kcal, respectively)

Associ. Prof. Khaled Harby., Mech Eng. Dept. Taibah Uni.

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