Netaji Subhas University of Technology, New Delhi

SOLAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGY

UNIT 5: Solar Passive Architecture

By: Dr. Aditya Kumar

Department of Mechanical Engineering,
NSUT, Delhi

1
Thermal Comfort
Passive Solar Heating
Passive solar design uses sunshine to heat and light homes and other
buildings without mechanical or electrical devices.

Heating the building through the use of solar energy involves the
absorption and storage of incoming solar radiation, which is then used
to meet the heating requirements of the space.
Five elements of Passive Solar Design
Direct Gain
• The most common Passive Solar system is Direct gain.
• Direct gain refers to the sunlight that enters a building through
windows, warming the interior space.
• A direct gain system includes south facing windows and a large mass
placed within the space to receive the most direct sunlight in cold
weather and least direct sunlight in hot weather.
• It is a least costly passive system.
Thermal Mass
Site Planning for Solar
• Overhang and Shading
Access
Advantages of Passive solar system
 Indirect Gain
In an indirect gain system, thermal mass is located in between
the Sun and the living space. The thermal mass absorbs the
sunlight that strike it and transfers it to the living space by
conduction.
Using a Trombe wall is the most common indirect gain
approach.
The wall consists of a 20 to 40-cm thick masonry wall on the
south side of a house.
A single or double layer of glass is mounted about 2.5 cm or less
in front of the wall’s surface. Solar heat is absorbed by the wall’s
dark-coloured outside surface and stored in the wall’s mass
where it radiates into the living space.
Types of Indirect gain system
 Thermal storage wall system (Trombe Walls)
 Roof pond system
Thermal storage wall system (Trombe Walls)
A Trombe wall is a technique used to capture solar heat that was
developed by French engineer Felix Trombe.
In water walls, water is held in light, rigid containers. Water provides
about twice the heat storage per unit volume as masonry, so a smaller
volume of mass can be used.
 A roof pond uses a store of water above the roof to mediate
Roof Pond internal temperatures, usually in hot desert environments.
This system is best for cooling in low humidity climates but can
be modified to work in high humidity climates.
Conditions for Indirect gain system
Isolated Gains
Isolated gain or sunspace, passive heating collects the sunlight in an area
that can be closed off from the rest of the building.
The doors or windows between the sunspace and the building are opened
during the day to circulate collected heat, and then closed at night,
allowing the temperature in the sunspace to drop.
Passive cooling
Evaporating cooling
The cooling Technology of Wind Turbine

Wind Turbine
Cooling
Technology

Air cooling Liquid Cooling

system System

Natural
Forced Air
Ventilation
Cooling
Cooling
Air-air cooling technology
Air-air cooling technology is the outside cold air exchange heat
with the hot air by natural air convection or forced air convection
so as to cool the components.

Liquid-air cooling technology

The waste heat transfers to circulate liquid coolant first in liquid-
air cooling technology, then exchanges heat with the outside high
speed forced convection air in a heat exchanger, after the coolant
cools down and back to the internal equipment.
Shading
• The most important passive cooling strategy,
regardless of mass, is shading. Shading is like
putting a hat on the building. Shading is a
simple method to block the sun before it can
get into the building.
• The primary source of heat buildup is sunlight
absorbed by the building through the roof,
walls, and windows. Secondary sources are
heat-generating appliances in the building and
air leakage. Shading minimizes the incident
solar radiation and cool the building
effectively and hence dramatically
building energy performance. affect
 Earth air tunnels
• A tunnel in the form of a pipe or
otherwise embedded at a depth of
about 4 m below the ground will
acquire the same temperature as the
surrounding earth at its surface.
• Therefore, the ambient air
ventilated through this tunnel will
get cooled in summer and warmed in
winter and this air can be used for
cooling in summer and heating in
winter.
• This technique has been used in the
composite climate of Gurgaon in
RETREAT building.
Energy Efficient Landscape Design

A well-designed landscape will:

• Cut your summer and winter energy costs dramatically.
• Protect your home from winter wind and summer sun.
• Reduce consumption of water, pesticides and fuel for
landscaping and lawn maintenance.
• Help control noise and air pollution.

Weather
“A state or condition of the atmosphere (temperature,
pressure, wind, rainfall, etc.) at a given place and at a
given
instant of time”.
Climate
“The generalized weather or summation of weather conditions
over a given region during comparatively longer period (usually,
a season or a year or even a decade)”

Factors affecting climate:

• Latitude
• Altitude (elevation)
• Precipitation
• Soil type
• Nearness to large water bodies
• Topography
• Vegetation
Roof Radiation
•To overcome some of the serious difficulties
with roof ponds, Baruch Givoni developed the
roof radiation trap system.
•The glazing on the roof is tilted to maximize
winter collection at any latitude (tilt =
latitude + 15°).
•Consists of a fixed insulating layer
separated from the flat roof and glazing,
protected by hinged insulating panel, in the
southern gap between the roof and the fixed
insulation.
•This fixed insulating layer is covered by
corrugated metal sheets, painted white,
which serve as nocturnal radiators in summer.
•After passing through the
glazing, solar radiation is
absorbed
the by the black-painted
concrete ceiling slab.
•The building is, thus, heated by
radiation from the ceiling. The
sloped roof is well insulated, and a
movable shutter can reduce heat
loss through the glass at night.
• The roof radiation trap system
can be used for both passive
heating as well as for passive

cooling.