Solar heating.

 

 

Passive Solar heating and cooling.
Passive solar energy involves building design and placement of appropriate building components to make use of sunlight for space heating

The most common building component used in passive solar energy gain are windows and a large thermal mass
This web site offers some helpful hints for selecting energy efficient windows.

Passive solar heating
Key concepts are:

• Southern facing windows.
• Large interior thermal mass to store heat. (Concrete floors which are exposed to solar rays, water walls as a passive storage medium)
• Energy efficient windows. (triple glazed, high R-value, low solar reflection)
  
  Passive solar cooling
  Key concepts are:
• Allow fresh, cooler air to enter the building through the lowest (basement) floor.
• Open windows in the upper floor of the building so that there will be an updraft of warm air and this will escape true the open windows, the escaped warm air is replaced with the cold air from the lower level of the house. (chimney effect)
• Close other windows in the building so that only cooler air from the lower level enters the building
• Roof overhangs should be used to provide shading of the windows during the summer months.

Solar water heating - Solar pool heating - Solar cells - Wind energy