1.

Designing for the Sun

1.1 The solar effect on buildings
The sun affects buildings and their users principally in the following ways:-

DIRECT SUNI!"T INDIRECT SUNI!"T
#RC"ITECTUR#
C$NCERN
Ther%al content &Infra red
%ainly'
(isual content
&(isual
spectru%'
"ygienic content &ultra
)iolet'
Daylight use
&pleasantness
and sa)ing
lighting energy'
Reflection* re-
e%itted fro%
other sources
#s constituents of
solar energy
%a+or %oderate %inor %oderate %inor
Naturally )entilated
buildings* for all
seasons
desirable in ,inter &to war%
the building'
desirable in Spring - to dry
the building* -illing %ould
acceptable in #utu%n
not desirable for prolonged
e.posure in Su%%er &i/e/ 0une
to %id $ct' to a)oid o)erheating
the buildings
desirable*
howe)er glare
to be a)oided
desirable* e.cept where U(
discolours paintings
desirable glare to be
a)oided
#ir conditioned
buildings
desirable for periods in which
artificial heating would be
needed
not desirable for periods in
which #1C is needed
depending
on acti)ities
not
desirable if
glare is
affecting the
acti)ities
desirable desirable glare to be
a)oided
2ost plants inside
and outside
buildings
desirable desirable desirable desirable i%%aterial
Specific se%i-
indoor acti)ities -
e/g/ solar therapy
desirable yearly - ditto - - ditto - - ditto - - ditto -
Indoor1outdoor
functions e/g/ sun-
drying of clothes
desirable yearly desirable desirable desirable i%%aterial
2ost outdoor
acti)ities
not desirable in o)erheating
periods of the day in Su%%er*
Spring and #utu%n* desirable in
,inter
desirable* but
glare to be
a)oided
desirable to ha)e sufficient
a%ount on hu%an body*
Not desirable if U( too
strong or too %uch &- In
Su%%er* fro% 33 a% to 4
p%* stay under a tree5'
desirable desirable*
howe)er glare
to be a)oided
1.2 Understanding the sunpaths in relation to the buildings - Latitude - 22.37N passing through Shatin
(ariables: day of year* periods in the day &apparent solar ti%e* standard ti%e - watch ti%e' - Su%%er ti%e
with the watch to ad)ance one hour6' in which direct sunlight is desirable1not desirable for which locations
inside and outside the buildings* and how to achie)e this6
7 INS$#TI$N - Incident Solar Radiation
Tools for studying INS$#TI$N &other than the 8uantitati)e aspects':-
Solar charts and shading protractors for certain shading de)ices
Table of solar declination angles
E8uations lin-ing ti%e* day* latitude* solar a9i%uth angle* and solar altitude angle
"eliodons: -
Dufton and :ec-ett heliodons* ;hilips solarscopes* ;aul ittle Solu. de)ice*
new heliodons for laboratory* and architects< office &pending release'
1.3 ossible solar shading design for building - interior! "hen insolation #ther$al aspect% is not desirable
The rationale is:- do not let the ther%al content of solar radiation go into the interior S;#CE directly through
the windows and openings and indirectly through the walls and roofs/
=i.ed shading de)ices: o)erhangs &hori9ontal or otherwise'* fins &)ertical or otherwise'* pergola* plants* air-
)entilated asse%blies of double wall1wall* wall1panel* glass1glass* with air1gas gap in between shading by
other buildings and other parts of sa%e building/
type of building %aterials - absorbing1reflecting> glass type
%o)able1retractable de)ices* sun shields* curtains* blinds* %ulti-perfor%ance windows
water cooling techni8ues - e/g/ rain water through e%bedded tubes in walls* water heating solar panels for
hot water use
Solar energy collectors for generating electricity1heating as sun shades
The i%portant point is that for naturally )entilated buildings* both the windows &4?@ - A?@ of wall surface'
and the ,all and Roof &B?@ - C?@' of en)elope area are to be considered for insolation design/
2. Designing for Natural &entilation
2.1 The need for natural 'entilation
The need for natural )entilation is su%%arised as follows:
T"E =UNCTI$NS $= N#TUR# (ENTI#TI$N
T"E NEED ta-ing away heat ta-ing away %oisture i%pro)ing indoor air 8uality &to control
concentration of
gases1)apours1hu%an odour'
"u%an acti)ities so%e fresh air needed so%e fresh air needed re8uire the largest a%ount of fresh air
Ditchen-coo-ing e.tract it close fro% its
source
reuse of this waste heat6
ta-e it away close fro% its
source to a)oid war%
%oisture condensation on
cold surface
to replenish the e.tracted a%ount
Toilet1bathroo%s - ditto - if hot water
bath1showers ta-e place
- ditto - especially showers all roo% air to be e.tracted to open
air* and not to %igrate to other parts of
house
replenishing air needed
Tobacco s%o-ing i%%aterial i%%aterial a huge a%ount of fresh air needed
#cti)ities that generate heat
e/g/ boiler roo% in hotel/
e.tracted to outside
use of waste heat6
i%%aterial to replenish a%ount e.tracted
2.2 So$e thoughts of design for natural 'entilation
Energy free )entilation is always desirable/ In fact the least energy consu%ption the best - to sa)e %oney and to
%itigate all sorts of ad)erse en)iron%ental effects due to energy consu%ption such as pollutants fro% burning
coal1oil1gas in energy generation etc/
!er%s* )iruses and other undesirable )apour1gas concentrations are easily dispersed away fro% naturally )entilated
buildings/
Naturally )entilated buildings offer a greater )ariation of indoor cli%atic conditions than air-conditioned buildings and
people are li-ely to be healthier in naturally )entilated buildings/
#ir conditioning has its role due to building li%itations and constraints* particularly noise and e.ceptionally high
hu%idity and dense indoor population/
In "ong Dong* it usually lea)es %ore chance for designing natural )entilation in residential and institutional buildings
than co%%ercial buildings/
2.3 Ther$al (o$fort - solar and natural 'entilation effects
=or buildings o)erheated in Su%%er at day ti%e* the wall is at EhotE te%peratures at night* e%itting infrared radiation
&i/e/ heat' to occupants who would then feel unco%fortable/ ,ith the sa%e principle* the blac- bitu%en asphalt on the
roads absorbs solar energy and re-e%its substantial IR - heat to pedestrians/
Roo%s facing South in ,inter are war%er at night ti%e and are %ore co%fortable because they are heated by the
sun at day ti%e/ Roo%s ha)ing large windows opening to the s-y are %ore co%fortable at night ti%e in Su%%er &and
cold in ,inter if' due to radiant cooling on people by the s-y which is colder than the roo%/ Roo%s with sa%e window
areas facing other buildings &i/e/ not the s-y' under the sa%e conditions &i/e/ naturally )entilated* with or without fans'
are less co%fortable in Su%%er &and they are war%er in ,inter' because other buildings are at high te%peratures
than the s-y/
Ther%al co%fort is principally go)erned by radiant heat e.change* te%perature1)elocity and %oisture content of air
around us &i/e/ con)ecti)e effect'* and our body nature1acti)ities1health condition1clothing/
.2.) Design for natural 'entilation and Ther$al (o$fort
Natural )entilation carries away heat* %oisture and odours1)apours1gases fro% the building* and pro)ides us with co%fort/
"owe)er the inflow and outflow of air )ia buildings ha)e to be designed and controlled properly/ ist below are so%e
reco%%endations:-
3/ #lways* the larger the openings* the better/
F/ The openings to be pro)ided with ad+ustable co)ers1windows so that the openings can be ad+usted fro% ?@ to 3??@
open* and the panels1windows to be ad+ustable in its angles when opening up* to opti%ise air in1out flow/
4/ In %ost locations in "ong Dong* the locality of the building dictates the wind %agnitude and direction* the general
Epre)ailing windE direction is not that i%portant/
A/ ,ind blowing on buildings create air pressures &positi)e and negati)e' on )arious building surfaces/ The wind then enters
)ia positi)e pressure openings and lea)es the building )ia negati)e pressure openings/ The orientation for putting up
openings is not that i%portant* especially when ad+ustable panels1windows are pro)ided/
G/ S-ylights are )ery desirable for night ti%e ther%al co%fort in houses to )ent heated1war% air that rises* and to let us
radiate heat to the cold s-y/ i-ewise windows open to the s-y and other relati)ely cold surfaces such as the woods* the sea*
would i%pro)e ther%al co%fort on the sa%e principle/
B/ et the sun heat the roo%s at day ti%e in ,inter and try to a)oid heating the building by other energy sources e.cept
waste heat/
C/ Use fans &a lot of )ariety - ceiling %ount* wall %ount* floor standing' to assist natural )entilation as needed/ #)oid air
conditioning as far as possible/
H/ et the su% shine on the building &i/e/ walls1windows1roof' as desirable and to shade it off if not desirable/