ENERGY CONSIOUS

ARCHITECTURE

PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING

SUBMITTED TO : SUBMITTED BY:

AR. MAVISH ANJUM GROUP 2
 INTRODUCTION

Passive heating refers to technologies or design features used to heat buildings

without power consumption.
 Passive solar heating does not require the use of machinery or equipment to
collect solar energy. On the contrary, passive solar heating is achieved through
planning and positioning of a building in such a way that it receives maximum
sunlight.
 South facing windows are an important component of buildings that implement
passive solar heating.
 A thermal mass is a heat-absorbing material such as water or concrete that is
built into the walls or floors of the building. Throughout the day, as sunlight
streams in and enters the building, the thermal mass absorbs the heat and
retains it. After the sun sets, the temperature in the building starts to drop down.
Now, the thermal mass begins to give up the heat it has collected during the
course of the day and transfers it to the rest of the building.
Pros and Cons of Passive Solar Heating
 A passive solar heating system is economical and highly efficient on sunny days.
It does not cost you anything once it has been put in place.
 On a sunny winter day, you can feel warm and comfortable without using a
furnace of space heater. You can conserve fossil fuel and save a lot of energy,
not to mention the monetary savings.
 You can also use the heat to warm up water.
 Moving over to the drawbacks, the dependability on sunlight is a major one. If you have
several cloudy days on end, your home will begin to feel cooler. As a result, most passive
solar heating systems require the use of a reliable backup heating system such as a
conventional furnace.

Five elements of passive solar design :

 Aperture- the large glass area, usually a window, through which sunlight enters the
building. Typically, the aperture faces within 30 degrees of true south and should avoid
being shaded by other buildings or trees between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day during the
heating session.
 Absorber- a hard, darkened surface of the storage element, is the second element of the
design. The surface sits in the direct path of the sunlight, which hits the surface and is
absorbed as heat.
 Thermal mass- the materials that retain or store the heat produced by the sunlight. Unlike
the absorber, which is in the direct path of the sunlight, the thermal mass is the material
below or behind the absorber’s surface.
 Distribution- the method by which solar heat circulates from the collection and storage
points to the different areas of the house.
 Control- During the summer months, roof overhangs are used to shade the aperture.
Other elements can be used to control the under- and/or overheating include
electronic sensing devices, operable vents and dampers, low-emissivity blinds, and
awnings.
 BUILDING ORIENTATION
Massing and orientation are important design factors to consider for passive
heating. Consider these factors early in the design so that the surface areas
exposed to sun at different times of day, building dimensions, and building
orientation can all be optimized for passive comfort.
A building must face the south in order to capture the sun’s energy.
The long side of the house should be on an east - west axis.
 THE SUN’S MOVEMENT
PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING TECHNIQUES BY :-
1. DIRECT GAIN SYSTEM
2. INDIRECT GAIN SYSTEM

DIRECT GAIN SYSTEM

Direct gain is a passive heating technique that is generally used in cold climates. It is the simplest
approach and is therefore widely used. In this technique, sunlight is admitted into the living spaces
directly through openings or glazed windows. The sunlight heats the walls and floors, which then store
and transmit the heat to the indoor environment. The main requirements of a direct gain system are
large glazed windows to receive maximum solar radiation and thermal storage mass.
During the day, the affected part of the house tends to get very hot, and hence, thermal storage mass
is provided in the form of bare massive walls or floors to absorb and store heat. This also prevents
overheating of the room. The stored heat is released at night when it is needed most for space
heating. Carpets and curtains should not be used to cover floors and walls used as storage mass
because they impede the heat flow rate. Suitable overhangs for shading and openable windows for
ventilation must be provided to avoid overheating in the summer. Thus a direct gain system has the
following components: (a) glazing – to transmit and trap the incoming solar radiation, (b) thermal mass
– to store heat for night-time use, (c) insulation – to reduce losses at night, (d) ventilation – for summer
time cooling, and (e) shading – to reduce overheating in summer. A schematic diagram showing the
components of direct gain system is given below. Reflectors may be provided outside windows to
increase the efficiency of the direct gain system.
Direct gain is the most common, simple, cheap and effective heating approach. However,
overheating, glare and degradation of building materials due to ultraviolet radiation are some of its
disadvantages
1. GLAZED WALLS
Glazing materials may be glass in different layers (i.e. single, double, or triple glazing;
the gap between the panes is generally 12 mm) and located in the wall or roof so
that radiation falls directly on the thermal storage mass. Direct gain can be achieved
by various forms of openings like clerestories, skylights, green houses or glass curtain
walls designed for the required heating.

2. BAY WINDOWS
Window formed as the exterior expression of a bay within a structure, a bay in this
context being an interior recess made by the outward projection of a wall. The
purpose of a bay window is to admit more light than would a window flush with the
wall line. A bay window may be rectangular, polygonal, or arc-shaped.
3. ATTACHED SUN SPACES
Sunspaces are essentially used for passive heating in cold climates. This approach
integrates the direct gain and thermal storage concepts. Solar radiation admitted
directly into the sunspace heats up the air, which, by convection and conduction
through the mass wall reaches the living space.

 SHADING FOR DIRECT HEAT GAIN

Shades can keep the heat and glare of direct sun from coming through windows.
They can also keep direct sunlight off of walls or roofs, to reduce cooling loads.
INDIRECT GAIN SYSTEM
Systems that indirectly exploit solar gains for heating the building. These systems absorb the
solar radiation on the envelope of the building and then allow it to penetrate to the living
space. The thermal mass operates like a regulator between the collecting surface and the
inside. The thermal wall (mass, trombe or water wall), the thermal storage roof and the wall
between a sunspace (conservatory) and the living space, are the main applications of the
indirect gain mechanism.
1. TROMBE WALL
A Trombe wall is a thermal storage wall made of materials having high heat storage
capacity such as concrete, bricks or composites of bricks, block and sand. The external
surface of the wall is painted black to increase its absorptivity and is placed directly behind
the glazing with an air gap in between. Solar radiation is absorbed by the blackened
surface and is stored as sensible heat in the wall. In an unvented wall, the stored heat slowly
migrates to the interior, where it heats the adjacent living space. If properly designed, the
wall can provide adequate heat to the living space throughout the night. Some of the heat
generated in the air space between the glazing and the storage wall is lost back to the
outside through the glass. The hotter the air in the airspace, the greater is the heat loss. This
heat loss can be reduced by venting the storage wall at the top and bottom. Such units are
called as ‘vented Trombe walls’. The air, in the space between the glazing and the wall gets
warmed up and enters the living room through the upper vents. Cool room air takes its place
through the lower vents, thus establishing a natural circulation pattern (thermocirculation)
that needs no mechanical means for moving the air.
Unvented Trombe walls are provided for residences, which require heating mainly
during the night. Furthermore, in cold climates where daytime as well as night-time
heating requirements are high, it is desirable to provide a certain amount of heat
directly to the living space. In such situations, a vented wall may be provided.
During summer months, when the sun’s altitude is high, an overhang is required to cut
off direct sunshine. The Trombe wall can provide induced ventilation for summer
cooling of the space as shown in Fig. Here, the heated air in the collector space flows
out through exhaust vents at the top of the outer glazing, and air from outside enters
the space through openings on the cooler side to replace the hot air. This continuous
air movement cools the living space.
2. WATER WALL
Water walls are based on the same principle as that of the Trombe wall, except that
they employ water as the thermal storage material. Water walls can store more heat
than concrete walls because of the higher specific heat. A water wall is a thermal
storage wall made up of drums of water stacked up behind glazing. It is painted black
externally to increase the absorption of radiation. The internal surface can be painted
with any other colour and can be in contact with the interior space directly, or
separated by a thin concrete wall or insulating layer.
In order to fix the quantity of water, the thumb rule is usually taken as 150 litres of water
per square metre of south oriented water wall. A variety of containers like tin cans,
bottles, tubes, bins, barrels, drums, etc., provide different heat exchange surfaces to
the storage mass ratio. Care should be taken to ensure that steel and metal containers
are lined with corrosion resistant materials. Also, the water should be treated with algae
retardant chemicals. Heat transfer through a water wall is much faster than through a
Trombe wall.
3. TRANS WALL
Transwall is a thermal storage wall that is semitransparent in nature. It partly absorbs
and partly transmits the solar radiation. The transmitted radiation causes direct heating
and illumination of the living space. The absorbed heat is transferred to the living space
at a later time. Heat loss through the glazing is low, as much of the heat is deposited at
the centre of the transwall ensuring that its exterior surface does not become too hot.
Thus, the system combines the attractive features of both direct gain and Trombe wall
systems.
A transwall has three main components:
Container made of parallel glass walls set in metal frame.
Thermal storage liquid, which is generally water.
A partially absorbing plate set at the centre of the transwall, parallel to the glass
walls.
4. SOLAR CHIMNEY
A solar chimney is a type of passive solar heating and cooling system that can be
used to regulate the temperature of a building as well as providing ventilation. Like a
Trombe wall or solar wall, solar chimneys are a way to achieve energy efficient
building design. Essentially, solar chimneys are hollow containers that connect the
inside part of the building to the outside part of the building.
Solar chimneys are easy and inexpensive means to heat and ventilate a building. First,
a chimney is built and coated in some dark or black material. As well, these chimneys
are generally placed on a South facing wall if the home is in the Northern hemisphere.
The process of heating a space using a solar chimney is fairly simple. When the solar
radiation hits the side of the chimney, the column of air inside the chimney is heated. If
the top exterior vents of the chimney are closed, the heated air is forced back into the
living space. This provides a type of convective air heating. As the air cools in the room
it is pulled back into the solar chimney, heating once again.
5. ROOF POND
A roof pond passive solar system, sometimes called a solar
roof, uses water stored on the roof to temper hot and cold
internal temperatures, usually in desert environments. It
typically is constructed of containers holding 6 to 12 in (150
to 300 mm) of water on a flat roof. Water is stored in large
plastic bags or fiberglass containers to maximize radiant
emissions and minimize evaporation. It can be left
unglazed or can be covered by glazing. Solar radiation
heats the water, which acts as a thermal storage medium.
At night or during cloudy weather, the containers can be
covered with insulating panels. The indoor space below the
roof pond is heated by thermal energy emitted by the roof
pond storage above. These systems require good drainage
systems, movable insulation, and an enhanced structural
system to support a 35 to 70 lb/ft2 (1.7 to 3.3 kN/m2) dead
load.
6. SOLARIUM
Sunspaces are essentially used for passive heating in cold climates. This approach
integrates the direct gain and thermal storage concepts. Solar radiation admitted
directly into the sunspace heats up the air, which, by convection and conduction
through the mass wall reaches the living space. A solarium essentially consists of a
sunspace or a green house constructed on the south side (in the northern
hemisphere) of the building with a thick mass wall linking the two. The sunspace can
be used as a sit-out during day as it allows solar radiation but keeps out the
surrounding cool air. At night, it acts as a buffer space.
7. THERMOSIPHON AIR PANEL (TAP)
Panels are attached to wall that allow air to be heated by sun.
Indirect gain because air is circulated to house by convection.
The ‘heart’ of the panel is a black colour-steel ‘heat collector’ behind an external double
polycarbonate sheet. Heat radiates from the steel into another air space.
By convection, warm air rising out of the top vent draws in cold air at floor level. A damper in the
bottom vent prevents cold air back-flow.
Nothing needs to be done to operate the panel – it operates itself.
A thermosiphon starts within minutes of the morning sun striking the panel even at an acute angle of
85 degrees. It has been found that the only conditions it does not operate is when there is complete
obscurity of the sun, for instance when snowing heavily and/or when enveloped in heavy cloud. If
there is partially obscured sunshine the TAP still works, to a lesser degree. Thermometers in the top and
bottom air vents can record temperatures of 3-5 degrees C at floor level but 30 degrees C or more at
the top vent.
• Location: SHEY, LADAKH,
INDIA.
• Building type: EDUCATIONAL
COMPLEX.
• Client: DRUKPATRUST.
• Head Architect : JONATHAN ROSE
• Design team: ARUPASSOCIATES
AND ARUP.

• It aims to provide a high-quality educational

environment for children.
• Sustainable design example include ventilation, passive solar
heating, a gravity feed water system and seismic safety designs.
• Using locally-available materials,
which have the least impact on
the environment;
• Exploiting natural ventilation
and passive solar heating;
• Minimizing energy use and POPLAR & WILLOW ROOF

emissions;
• Minimizing water use;
• Refining and adapting
traditional techniques to provide
modern solutions.
VIP Toilets
 ROOFS
• The roofs are designed to
bring in additional
daylight through
clerestory windows.
• Small windows are set
in the north-facing
• Facades to
provide daylight.
 TROMBE WALLS THAT ABSORB THE
SUN’S ENERGY DURING THE
DAYTIME TO WARM THE
DORMITERIES AT NIGHT.

 SOUTH FACING RESIDENCES WITH

ANTI-SEISMIC CROSS BRACING
AND TROMBE WALLS
• Australian National Association of Women in
Construction (2005): Sinclair Knight Merz Award for
Achievement in Development
• British Consultants and Construction Bureau,
International Expertise Awards (2003):‘Large
Consultancy Firm of the Year’
• World Architecture Awards (2002): Best Asian
Building, Best Education Building, Best Green Building
(joint winner)