How to Build a Passive Solar Heating System
A passive solar heating system uses innovative design and technologies to collect, store and distribute solar energy in a building. A good passive solar heating system will heat a structure efficiently in the winter without any -- or at least with a greatly reduced -- need for mechanical and electrical devices such as pumps, fans or electrical controls. A passive solar heating system will also efficiently cool a structure in the summer. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Topological site map
- Appropriately selected glazing for windows
- Overhangs, awnings and trees
- Masonry with thermal mass
- Energy efficient doors and windows
Instructions
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Find out exactly where and when the sun rises in every season to determine the correct orientation of the structure. The sun's position changes during the day and seasonally, but a south-facing orientation, within 30 degrees east or west of true south, is best.
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Use the sun's position during the different seasons to determine the the optimal design for collecting sunlight during the heating season. This will depend on the climate, latitude, and desired amount of solar heat gain, as well as site specific-factors like hills, other buildings and trees. The angle for maximum winter heating is roughly 10 degrees to 15 degrees steeper than the site latitude.
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Maximize the use of glass and glazing and create large window areas through which sunlight enters the building. Choose window treatments, especially for south windows, that reduce nighttime heat loss and prevent summer overheating.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, windows on east-, west-, and north-facing walls are used only to allow in adequate daylight. East- and west-facing windows should be shaded, the department says, because it is difficult to control the sun's rays when they are low in the sky, and north-facing windows don't collect much solar heat.
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Choose overhangs, awnings and appropriate landscaping, especially for the south windows, including trees that lose their leaves seasonally during the heating season and protect the window from sunlight during the cooling season.
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Choose masonry materials like concrete, stones, brick and tile with thermal mass. Use dark colors for the surfaces of masonry floors and walls to absorb heat in a cold climate.
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Choose high-performance, energy-efficient ratings for all doors, windows and skylights.
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Distribute the collected and stored heat from interior surfaces to other parts of the structure using the principles of conduction, convection and radiant heat movement to carry solar heat into the building's interior and to warm cold surfaces, like walls, windows and ceilings.
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Tips & Warnings
Research who else in your area has already built a passive solar heating system and ask for tips and advise before building your own.
Review your design with a structural engineer to make sure you have enough support for large expanses of glass walls that have little structural strength, are brittle and easily break.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit window image by Valery Shanin from Fotolia.com
