Passive solar systems:- Direct gain, Indirect gain

Design Patterns:- building location, building shape and orientation, location of indoor spaces,
protected entrance, window location, overhang shading.
Choosing the system:- appropriate materials,
Direct gain:- solar windows, collectors and skylights, performance and design of direct gain
systems.
Masonry heat storge, interior water wall.
Thermal storage wall systems:- performance and design of absorber storge (Trombe) wall
systems, wall details, convection loops.
Attached greenhouse systems:- sizing the greenhouse, green house connection.
.Roof pond systems:- Sizing the roof pond, roof pond details
 Introduction to Solar Energy
The proportion of different wavelengths in the solar spectrum does not
.change and therefore the energy output of the sun remains constant
A measurement of this phenomenon is known as the Solar Constant,
defined as the amount of heat energy delivered by solar radiation to a
square foot of material set perpendicular to the sun’s rays for one hour
at the outer edge of the earth’s atmosphere, (measurement of the solar
electromagnetic radiation available in a meter squared at Earth's
.distance from the sun)
The average amount of solar radiation that reaches the earth's
upper atmosphere on a surface perpendicular to the sun's rays;
equal to 1353 Watts per square meter or 492 Btu per square foot,
The solar energy generally received on the earth's surface on a clear
day is under 280 Btu per hour per square foot. The BTU or Btu is
British thermal unit is a measure of heat, which is a form of energy
. It was originally defined as the amount of heat required to raise the
temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit at a
.atmospheric unit constant pressure of one
.United States customary units It is also part of the
The SI unit for energy is the joule (J); one BTU equals about
1,055 J
.
 RADIATION AND SURFACES
The energy measured as the Solar Constant is not a measure of the
amount of solar energy that actually reaches the earth’s surface, since
as much as 35 % of all the solar radiation intercepted by the earth and
.its surrounding atmosphere is reflected back into space
Additionally, water vapor and atmospheric gases absorb another 15 %.
As a global average only about 35-40 % of the solar radiation entering
.the atmosphere actually reaches the earth’s surface
Stucco reflects sunlight in a scattered fashion while a smooth, glossy surface *
.reflects uniformly and at an angle equal to the angle of incidence
The wavelengths of solar radiation that are reflected are determined by the *
.color of the surface material
A red stucco surface, for example, will scatter wavelengths in the red band of -
.the spectrum and absorb all others
A white glossy surface will reflect all wavelengths in the visible spectrum at -
.an angle equal and opposite to the angle of incidence
.A rough black surface absorbs all wavelengths in the visible spectrum -
The transparent surface of window glass allows nearly all radiation to pass -
.through it with
 HEAT BEHAVIOR
HEAT ABSORPTION -1
Sunlight, in the form of short wave solar radiation, exhibits a
transformation from solar energy to heat energy when impacting a
material (absorption). The temperatures of a white surface and a black
surface exposed the same direct sunlight is a simple demonstration of
this conversion. The temperature of the black surface is higher
because it is absorbing more solar energy. As solar energy is absorbed
at the surface of a material it stimulates movement of the molecules in
the material. Molecular movement is measured in terms of heat – the
greater the movement, the greater the heat. Since the color black
absorbs more of the spectrum than the color white, it will in turn be
.hotter (more molecular excitement) than white
The following formula is used to calculate the total amount of heat
.energy absorbed by a mass
Q=m∗C∗ΔT

Where Q is the total amount of heat energy absorbed by a mass •

m is the mass •
C is the specific heat of the material
ΔT is the change in temperature
To calculate The heat absorption, multiply the mass by the change in
.temperature (T1-T2), then finally multiply again by the specific heat

This formula is also used for heat loss calculations, but the difference,
in this case, is that the final temperature will be higher than the initial
temperature (T2-T1)
.Example problem
.total mass of the solution is found to be 50kg
determine the specific heat of the solution, if the specific heat is found to
be 400 J/kg-C. and the initial temperature is 20 C o and the final
.temperature is 60Co
*******************************************
.The change in temperature is calculated to be 60C-20C o = 40Co
:The total amount of heat absorbed using the formula

Q = m*C*ΔT

Q = 50 Kg X 40 J/kg-Co X 40 Co
.Q = 800,000 J
CONDUCTION -2
As a material absorbs radiation and molecular movement continues to
accelerate, the heat energy is redistributed through the material due to the
natural phenomenon of maintaining equilibrium. This occurs when stimulated
molecules, vibrating at a faster rate, impact adjacent molecules vibrating at a
slower rate, thereby dissipating and "spreading the wealth". In this way, heat is
conducted away from the source of energy as the material seeks to distribute
the energy evenly throughout its mass. The rate at which energy flows or is
conducted though a material depends on the density of the material and
conduction, the rate at which molecules are capable of receiving and passing on
energy. Gases are poor conductors; metals are comparatively good conductors;
and less dense materials containing tiny air pockets and voids conduct heat at a
.much slower rate
 Heat transfer occurs
through conduction when
particles of matter come in
direct contact with each other.
Particles that have kinetic
energy, i.e., motion or heat, can
transfer this vibrating motion to
another particle that they
impact. Heat always travels
from hotter regions to cooler
q = local heat flux density
regions
K = materials conductivity
Dalta T = temperature gradient
HEAT TRANSFER -3
Heat transfer from a solid material to a fluid medium (liquid or air) occurs by
radiation (infrared). Heat transfer describes the flow of heat (thermal energy) due
to temperature differences and the subsequent temperature distribution and
.changes
:Heat Transfer or heat flow can take place in three forms
.Conduction, Convection, Radiation

Conduction and convection can be thought of as processes by which solar

.energy can be both transported and stored
 EMISSIVITY -4
The principle of solar energy absorption was discussed in terms of two surfaces
exposed to the sun. Conduction was then discussed to show how absorbed
solar energy moves through a material, always in a direction away from the
source of heat to attain equilibrium. NOTE: Any molecular movement is
continually generating heat in the form of radiant energy. Unlike solar energy,
radiant energy is limited to infrared radiation emitted from a material at low
temperatures. The extent to which a material emits thermal energy depends
.both on the temperature of the material and nature of its surface
Again, as with solar radiation, the amount of thermal energy a surface will
.intercept depends on the angle of the incoming radiation
Glass has the special characteristic of transmitting nearly all solar
radiation that it intercepts (which moves through it) and is less
transparent to most thermal radiation. The temperature build-up in a
closed car on a sunny but cold day is evidence of this characteristic.
Solar energy passes through the windows is absorbed by interior
materials, and reradiated into the interior space in the form of thermal
energy (heat) which is unable to pass back through the glass to the
.outside. This has become known as the greenhouse effect
 HEAT STORAGE -5
All materials can store heat to some degree. The ability of a material to do so is
called its specific heat, the amount of heat, measured in BTU’s for a given mass.
As an indicator of a material's value as a heat storage medium in solar heating
of spaces, the specific heat of a material is not very useful. The usefulness of a
material in such an application is determined by its heat capacity, a
measurement of the specific heat of a material multiplied by its density. The
higher the heat capacity, the more effective the material is for heating and
.cooling
A good storage medium material must absorb heat
when it is available, and give I t up when it is needed,
.and it must be a relatively good heat conductor
.passive solar energy as a type of solar energy in which no external energy is used
Passive solar energy is a technique in which solar energy is used naturally. It does
.energy sources not require additional mechanisms or external

The technique to achieve this is an excellent architectural design optimizing the

.different construction elements' position and dimensions (walls, windows)
The main difference between active and passive solar energy is that
there is a process of energy transformation in the active one.
Meanwhile, passive solar energy does not take advantage of any
.mechanical or electrical device
Concerning active solar energy, photovoltaic panels, transform
sunlight into electrical power. Thermal solar panels, convert radiation
.heat energy into

Passive solar energy is the technique that allows you to harness solar
energy directly without having to process it. For example, depending
on the design in buildings' construction, can significantly improve the
.amount of natural energy used
Passive solar heating and cooling, sometimes referred to simply as passive
solar design, is the process of using specific building systems to help regulate
internal temperature by using the Sun energy selectively and beneficially in an
.energy efficiency attempt to improve the

Passive heating and cooling strategically captures or shades against

.solar radiation
Solar heating and cooling systems take advantage of natural
processes such as conduction, convection and radiation to warm or cool
.a building
Passive solar design refers to the use of the sun's energy for the heating and
cooling of living spaces by exposure to the sun. When sunlight strikes a building,
.the building materials can reflect, transmit, or absorb the solar radiation
Capturing solar radiation in the winter helps to warm up the space,
and shading from solar radiation in the summer cools the space.
Hence, the use of insulation and thermal mass is crucial to prevent
over-cooling of a space in the winter. Likewise, the use of shading
technologies in combination with windows and glazing is equally
.important in preventing over-heating of a space in the summer
In the design of passive solar buildings, the building materials are
-:designed to fulfill two functions

Collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the *
.winter months. When sunlight enters the building

.Reject solar heat in the summer months *

 Components of a Passive Solar Heating System
A passive solar system is made up of components that have functions very
similar to the components of an active solar heating system, but those
components look much different and are arranged much differently. The typical
components of either a passive or active solar heating system are: aperture
opening for solar radiation to go through, absorber (to absorb the radiant energy
and convert it to thermal energy), thermal mass (for storage of excess thermal
energy for later use), distribution system, controls, and a backup heating
.system
Aperture(s) -1
The aperture(s) in a passive solar heating system will be south-facing
window(s). It is important that these windows not be shaded by other buildings
.or trees from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. during the heating season
Absorber and thermal mass -2
the absorber and the thermal mass for storage are both part of the same unit(s),
which are components of the building such as floors and walls in the direct path
.of sunlight
The floor and/or wall surfaces are typically dark colored so that they will absorbs
solar radiation well and convert it to thermal energy, which is stored in the mass
of the floors and/or walls. In an active system, the absorber is typically part of
.the collector and the heat storage system is a separate unit
Distribution system -3
A distribution system is used to circulate heat from the collection and storage
points to different areas of the house. In a strictly passive system, heat will be
circulated solely by one or more of the three natural heat flow methods,
conduction, natural convection, and radiation. Fans, and/or blowers are
sometimes used to help with the distribution of heat throughout the house in an
.otherwise passive system
Controls -4
Controls include items such as operable vents or dampers, moveable window
insulation, and/ or roof overhangs or awnings that shade the aperture during
summer months. For active systems and nearly passive systems that use fans
and/or blowers, controls typically include electronic sensing devices, such as a
differential thermostat that signals a fan to turn on or off or a damper to open or
.close
 Backup heating system -5
The backup heating system for either a passive or active system can be any
.type of non-solar heating system
There are five options commonly available as backup heating for passive solar
homes, Wall-mounted heaters, Wood stoves and masonry heaters,
.Forced air systems, Radiant floor and baseboard systems
Next Lecture
 Basic Passive Solar Heating Systems Types
Based on the criterion of the storage, distribution, and discharge time of
stored heat, passive solar gain solutions can be divided into direct and
.indirect solar gain systems
Direct gain, (II) Indirect gain )I(

Direct gain:- Direct gain is the most basic form of passive solar heating. )I(
Sunlight admitted through southfacing glazing (in the Northern Hemisphere)
enters the space to be heated, and is stored in a thermal mass incorporated into
.the floor or interior walls
indirect gain:- An indirect gain passive solar heating system (also called a )II(
Trombe wall or a thermal storage wall) is a south-facing glazed wall, usually
built of heavy masonry, but sometimes using containers of water or phase
.change materials