Table of Contents
- 1 What is a Trombe wall and how does it work?
- 2 What role can attached solar greenhouses and Sunspaces play in a passive solar house?
- 3 How does a Trombe wall work in summer?
- 4 What is direct gain?
- 5 What are the 3 main things to consider when designing for passive solar?
- 6 How can I make my sunroom more energy efficient?
What is a Trombe wall and how does it work?
A Trombe wall is a massive Equator-facing wall that is painted a dark color in order to absorb thermal energy from incident sunlight and covered with a glass on the outside with an insulating air-gap between the wall and the glaze.
What is sun space in architecture?
A sunspace or solarium is the combination of direct and indirect gain systems. In the northern hemisphere, the basic requirements of sunspaces are: (1) a glazed south-facing collector space attached, yet separated, from the building; and (2) living space separated from the sunspaces by thermal storage wall.
What role can attached solar greenhouses and Sunspaces play in a passive solar house?
Increase home heating and cooling performance and boost savings quickly by adding attached sunspaces to existing structures.
Is sunspace an energy saving structure in the building?
Results show that a sunspace with heat storage takes advantage of the solar energy and improves the indoor thermal performance of the adjacent room during winter in a better way than a window or a simple sunspace, and that it has also a better performance in summer.
How does a Trombe wall work in summer?
In the daytime, Trombe walls facing the Sun have sunlight incident upon them. The wall absorbs and stores the heat coming from the direct solar radiation. Cool air from the building enters the air channel between the wall and the glazing through a vent that is present at the bottom of the wall.
How thick should a Trombe wall be?
8- to 16-inch thick
A typical Trombe wall consists of an 8- to 16-inch thick masonry wall coated with a dark, heat-absorb- ing material and faced with a single or double layer of glass. The glass is placed from about 3/4″ to 6″ away from the masonry wall to create a small air- space.
What is direct gain?
‘Direct Gain’ is the most basic form of solar gain. Solar energy enters through south-facing glazing and is absorbed by thermal mass incorporated into the floor and walls. Heat is stored in the thermal mass during the day and later released during the night into the living space.
What is high thermal mass?
‘Thermal mass’ describes a material’s capacity to absorb, store and release heat. For example water and concrete have a high capacity to store heat and are referred to as ‘high thermal mass’ materials.
What are the 3 main things to consider when designing for passive solar?
To be successful, a passive solar home design must include some basic elements that work together:
- Properly oriented windows.
- Thermal mass.
- Distribution mechanisms.
- Control strategies.
What is passive solar cooling?
Passive Solar Cooling. Passive solar cooling systems work by reducing unwanted heat gain during the day, producing non-mechanical ventilation, exchanging warm interior air for cooler exterior air when possible, and storing the coolness of the night to moderate warm daytime temperatures.
How can I make my sunroom more energy efficient?
Short of replacing the glass, here’s what you can do to improve energy-efficiency in the space.
- Seal up leaks in the frames. Use a clear caulk to add weatherstripping around the frames and prevent air from leaking.
- Tint the windows.
- Cover the windows.
- Add a ceiling fan.
How does passive solar work?
In simple terms, a passive solar home collects heat as the sun shines through south-facing windows and retains it in materials that store heat, known as thermal mass. Well-designed passive solar homes also provide daylight all year and comfort during the cooling season through the use of nighttime ventilation.