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Passive Solar Buildings
Passive Solar Buildings
Passive Solar Buildings
• Passive solar buildings are designed to let the heat into the
building during the winter months, and block out the sun
during hot summer days. This can be achieved by passive
solar design elements such as shading, implementing large
south-facing windows, and building materials that absorb and
slowly release the sun’s heat.
Systems
Direct Gain
Indirect Gain
Day lighting
Direct Gain
Indirect gain
Day lighting
Radiant panels
Radiant panels are simple passive solar systems that are inexpensive
and well suited as retrofits to metal buildings.
Thermal storage walls
In summer
The density of the materials in
the Trombe wall acts as a
method of slow heat
absorption and transfer.
Continued…
In winter
• In the winter, when the sun is allowed
to shine on them, they can be
‘charged’ up to help to warm the
house by transferring the sun’s heat
inside.
• In the winter, when the surrounding
outside air temperature drops as the
air cools after the sun has gone down,
the object with thermal mass will
continue to release its stored heat
energy.
• When all the heat is discharged, it is
ready to once again ‘charge’ up or
absorb heat again.
Concrete Block Wall:
• Concrete block buildings are very common they may offer
opportunities for passive solar retrofits.
• Concrete floor slabs and massive partitions between zones help
prevent overheating and otherwise improve the performance of
concrete block thermal storage walls
• For new construction, superior performance of solid masonry walls
by filling the cores of the block in the thermal storage wall with
mortar as it is erected.
Water walls
• Water walls are thermal storage walls that use containers of water
placed directly behind the aperture glazing as the thermal storage
medium.
• It is more advantageous than a trombe wall by using half the space
and being effective at much higher heat capacities.
• The advantage over masonry walls is that water has a volumetric
heat capacity about twice that of high density concrete; it is
therefore possible to achieve the same heat capacity
Material Consideration
Skylights are a simple way of introducing light to rooms right below roof
level. Both fixed and operable skylights are available.
Angled (splayed) walls broadcast the most light, and placing skylights near a
wall creates a pleasant light-washing effect on the wall surface.
. Skylights also can produce unexpected glare and uncomfortably warm
indoor temperatures unless they have shades. With this in mind, in most
climates it is wise to limit skylights to north roof slopes
Windows and glazing