Incorporating overhangs, awnings, shutters and trellises into the building design can also provide shade. A trellis with a climbing vine can shade a home and allow air circulation. Photo by John Krigger, Saturn Resource. Effective thermal mass materials, like concrete, or stone floor slabs, have high specific heat capacities, as well as high density.
It is ideally placed within the building where it is exposed to winter sunlight but insulated from heat loss. The material is warmed passively by the sun and releases the thermal energy into the interior during the night. The most important characteristic of passive solar design is that it is holistic, and relies on the integration of a building's architecture, materials selection, and mechanical systems to reduce heating and cooling loads.
It is also important to consider local climate conditions, such as temperature, solar radiation, and wind, when creating climate-responsive, energy conserving structures that can be powered with renewable energy sources.
In climates that are appropriate for passive solar heating, large south-facing windows are used, as they have the most sun exposure in all seasons. Although passive solar heating systems do not require mechanical equipment for operation, fans or blowers may be used to assist the natural flow of thermal energy. The passive systems assisted by mechanical devices are referred to as hybrid heating systems.
Passive solar systems utilize basic concepts incorporated into the architectural design of the building. This typically includes 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.
To achieve a high percentage of passive solar heating, it is necessary to incorporate adequate thermal mass in buildings. Specific guidelines for this include the following:. Sizing of glass areas, insulation values, shading, and mass will depend on climate. Higher solar savings contributions will require greater amounts of glazing and mass. Be aware that the relationship between glass area and mass is not linear. For example, a doubling of glass area may require a tripling of effective thermal mass.
There are two main uses for passive solar heating: skin-load dominated buildings in cold and temperate climates, and internal-load dominated buildings in warm climates. For small, skin-load dominated buildings in cold and temperate climates, passive solar design often involves using solar energy to provide space heating.
For other kinds of structures, such as internal-load dominated buildings in warm climates, responsible passive solar design is more likely to emphasize cooling avoidance using shading devices, high performance glazing, and daylighting. In a skin-load dominated structure, energy consumption is primarily dictated by the influence of the exterior climate on a building's envelope, or "skin.
Internal-load dominated buildings such as educational facilities , offices , or large retail complexes often consume the majority of their energy to provide interior lighting and to provide cooling to counteract the heat given off by people, plug-loads such as computers , fixtures, and other internal sources.
Such buildings can require cooling year-round. Note, however, that less solar radiation enters a well-shaded south window in the summer than a similarly shaded window on the north, east, or west side of the building.
Depending on climate, the passive solar design of internal-load dominated buildings might include:. There are four generic passive solar heating approaches for skin-load dominated buildings: 1 sun-tempered, 2 direct gain, 3 indirect gain, and 4 isolated gain.
The four approaches for passive solar heating in skin-load dominated buildings. Sun-tempering is achieved through modest increases in south-facing windows. In this case, no thermal mass needs to be added to the basic design the "free mass" of gypsum wallboard and furnishings is sufficient to store the additional solar heat. Direct gain is the most basic form of passive solar heating. Sunlight admitted through south-facing 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.
Beyond that, problems with glare or fading of fabrics are likely to occur, and it becomes more difficult to provide enough thermal mass for year-round comfort. An indirect gain passive solar heating system also called a 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.
Sunlight is absorbed into the wall and it heats up slowly during the day. Then, as it cools gradually during the night, it releases its stored heat over a relatively long period of time indirectly into the space. Isolated gain, or sunspace, passive heating collects the sunlight in an area that can be closed off from the rest of the building. But so do most home improvement projects, and this one can save you lots of money.
That leads us to the second reason:. Not enough people have heard about passive solar. The practicality is there—passive solar leads to reduced greenhouse gas emissions and savings at the same time. As the world becomes more environmentally conscious, we should expect more folks to take advantage of reducing their ecological footprint and saving money on their heating bills. And as our technology gets more efficient, the reasons to take advantage of solar only grow.
As a content marketing fellow, Ian created and worked with all front-facing aspects of Solstice's content, ranging from social media to email newsletters. Ian studied environmental science at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where he applied his passion for climate change mitigation. In school, he became interested in discovering better strategies for environmental communication and pursued his career in digital and content marketing.
When not at work, Ian can be found either playing sci-fi video games or going out to enjoy many of Boston's attractions and live events. Skip to content. Passive solar works according to a 5-step process. With passive solar heating, this heat can be released into the home in 3 ways: Radiation — Heat that travels in the form of waves, think of your microwave.
Diagram of Passive Solar Heating Home. Read More. That leads us to the second reason: Not enough people have heard about passive solar. Tags: energy bill savings Heating Passive Solar solar energy.
Author: Ian De La Rocha As a content marketing fellow, Ian created and worked with all front-facing aspects of Solstice's content, ranging from social media to email newsletters.
Related Posts. What if we democratized access to clean energy? Most traditional methods of heating a building such as furnaces, electric resistance, or space heaters use fossil fuels for power, which release greenhouse gases and pollutants into the air when used. Passive solar designs also have a number of comfort benefits. For one, there is no noise coming from rumbling radiators or furnaces when you use passive solar heating.
Not every property is perfectly suitable to take advantage of passive solar energy. In order for a passive solar design to be as effective as possible, your building needs to be well-insulated so the thermal energy absorbed by your system can stay in a designated space for as long as possible. Large trees , hills, or nearby buildings may be situated south of your property, therefore blocking sunshine throughout the day. Is there any chance your neighbor may invest in a property addition that would prevent your solar access?
Your geography is also an important factor. Passive solar heating is reliant on the position of the sun on a property throughout the various seasons, and this position will vary depending on your location. In the northern hemisphere, apertures should face south, while northern facing apertures are ideal in the southern hemisphere. The size and position of your control component may also depend on your latitude, as the angle of sunlight on a given date will be different in southern California than further north in New England.
One downside of passive solar heating is that if your property was not originally built with it in mind, it can be an expensive renovation.
Many property homeowners consider using passive solar design in isolated additions to their homes like a sunroom. These case studies include pictures, testimonials, and advice straight from property owners utilizing passive solar design themselves.
By joining the EnergySage Solar Marketplace , you can obtain multiple solar quotes from pre-screened, vetted installers to compare. These custom quotes will include savings estimates that take into account electricity rates in your area, how much electricity you use, and the details of the proposed solar panel system.
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