Cornwall Solar - Passive solar buildings info.

Passive solar architecture harnesses the sun's energy by employing a particular design of building and by utilising the inherent properties of the construction materials.

Such buildings are orientated to face the sun in such a way as to capture the maximum amount of solar radiation & store it with minimal heat loss. Without involving any additional construction costs, straightforward design features incorporated in to a new building can account for 30% of the energy required for space heating.

This is achieved by;

direct gain through large southerly facing windows
indirect gain via a sunspace, conservatory or a Trombe Wall - a structure with large mass which slowly releases heated air for circulation to other parts of the building. In summer this is moderated through the use of shades and blinds.

In addition to lower energy requirements buildings constructed in this way also possess a pleasant, light internal environment, conducive for commercial and business purposes as well as domestic use.

Often older properties built with traditional methods and materials incorporate features which contribute to a passive solar 'gain'. Older style houses with a southerly aspect and with little or no window area on their north facing walls are a typical example of this.

Stone walls, such as granite ones, have sufficiently good thermal storage to allow daytime sunlight falling onto them to be slowly released as internal heat in the evening, and their insulative properties have the effect of moderating internal temperature fluctuations over a period of time.