Passive Solar Energy

By: EconomyWatch   Date: 30 April 2010

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Uses of Passive Solar Energy

By the term passive solar energy, the reference is to the heat energy that is tapped from sunlight, with minimal usage of any complicated mechanical systems or technologies.

The concept itself is focused on a specific manner of placement of various building components. Placement is carried out in such a way that it facilitates the right displacement of solar energy or sunlight for heating, cooling and lighting purposes. These components may be windows, walls, floors, roofs and other external building elements for controlling solar radiation. Proper ventilation, distribution and insulation of heat energy are vital to tap passive solar energy.

As passive solar technologies are used across residential and commercial buildings, the most common technologies include solar water heating systems, solar chimneys, solar cookers and earth sheltering. This is because other technologies, such as the solar forge, that have been used in certain places have not yet proved cost efficient or feasible to be used on a large scale.

Passive solar energy technologies enable solar gains with negligible assistance of pumps and fans and strategic placement of internal and external building components. An even distribution of the solar heat becomes possible and thereby provides a cooling effect through absorption, insulation and dissemination of solar-thermal energy harnessed from the sun.

While there is no doubt that passive solar energy saves energy, most windows lose more energy over the years than they gain. With correct window placement, this can be negated.

For example, positioning windows in a building’s upper floor enables the space to stay solar heated during summer. More techniques will continue to emerge so as to optimize the potential of capturing passive solar energy. For example, the Florida Solar Energy Center is documenting the effectiveness of wing walls for enhancing its ventilation strategy. Another example relates to thermal chimneys that are commonly designed as part of most passive solar designs.

Day lighting design has emerged as a popular concept to generate passive solar energy. This concept optimizes natural sunlight for space heating and illumination purposes. Further, this concept also relies on a variety of factors, such as space planning, proportions of the open area through which sunlight will enter and proper placement of internal surfaces and objects to prevent excessive brightness or a glare factor because of the sunlight and its reflection.

Passive solar energy is used as a means of space heating and cooling. So, it is possible for buildings to stay cool during summer months, with proper ventilation, use of proper shading, glazed windows and many more techniques that will continue to emerge in the coming years.

Passive solar energy can also be leveraged with proper fitment of custom blinds to help keep living and working areas comfortable during times of direct sunlight exposure to windows.

 


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