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Passive Solar Design
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| Submitted by: | Mark Clipsham (mcliparchsyn@signatureblue.com) 8/27/2008 12:43:37 PM PT |
| Location: | Ames, Iowa |
| Occupation: | Architect and Design Build |
I would heartily agree with Richard. Insulation works 24/7/365 and should have an R of at least 19. Windows are good to get 3.5 R and where I live, for example, might get four or five hours beneficial solar gain four or five days per week of the heating season. That is a pretty low percentage of benefit vs the percentage of time that the glazing is a liability. The windows radiate cold at night and on cloudy days and they are expensive. The solar attium is a very viable approach and a great place to put a hot tub or "outdoor" shower for the summer. The glazing, if in a conditioned space, is a liability the entire cooling season also, hence the addition of a heat mirror in addition to low e for some windows such as "Integrity". The overall performance is better than without even though it excludes much passive solar gain in the winter. Rather than "passive solar" think "passive energy" or just call it "good design". New concrete for mass is a bad choice because of its high entrained energy/carbon footprint; better to use broken up reclaimed concrete, local stone or water or some combination thereof. Also, vent adequately; if you size according to recommendations by vent manufacturers you will be grossly inadequately vented. If you think you are way overdoing it you probably have just enough. Opening and closing doors from a solarium is something I do (plenty of photos available) but thermostatically controlled fans/dampers are affordable and well, automatic. If you do put glazing in a conditioned space for the purpose of passive solar gain, please invest in some well-designed movable insulation, and use it, summer and winter!
| Submitted by: | Richard (rmaccrea@mountainhomeshow.com) 8/27/2008 7:26:32 AM PT |
| Location: | Appalachians |
| Occupation: | Home designer and planner |
Reply to Pat.
The principle you give is good, but you should just pick the ones
available in your area with the best values. Another possibility is
building a two story solarium on the south side, with the correct
summer sun shading to keep out the summer sun. This can be built
with low quality glass that allows lots of heat gain. Since it is outside
the HVAC envelope, you don''t have to worry about heat loss. Ideally
this room should be as far from the interior stairway as possible. The
floor of the solarium must allow for heat to rise from the lower level to
the upper level. Then the owner can open doors to both levels of the
house, and the heated air will circulate through the house, returning
down the stairway. Then at night the owner can shut the doors,
keeping the heat inside. www.mountainhomeshow.com
| Submitted by: | Richard (rmaccrea@mountainhomeshow.com) 8/27/2008 7:19:26 AM PT |
| Location: | Appalachians |
| Occupation: | Home designer and palnner |
For the most part I found this article very interesting, but the first
paragraph gives an unnecessary limitation. Can you really say that a
bathroom addition is not a good place to implement solar? That depends
on what direction the addition faces. To discourage people from
considering solar possibilities on even the smallest projects is not
necessary. Its not the size, its the orientation that limits the solar
possibilities.
| Submitted by: | Joe Costion (Joe.Costion@coconino.edu) 8/26/2008 2:12:56 PM PT |
| Location: | Flagstaff Az |
| Occupation: | Educator |
Thermal Mass is also an essential component of internal temperature stability, coupled closely with the inside environment & solar gain
| Submitted by: | Pat Maloney (pat@energyappreciators.com) 8/21/2008 7:26:17 PM PT |
| Location: | Modena, NY |
| Occupation: | contractor |
In designing a passive solar addition in the north east it is recommended to use windows with a low u-value and a high shgc #. I've searched the web and talked to many manufacturers and I'm not able to find this combination. Anyone have any suggestions?
pat@energyappreciators.com
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