Passive Solar Building Design

Passive solar building design reduces or eliminates the need for mechanical heating and cooling by designing with solar heat gain in mind. This is a completely passive approach to heating and cooling that has to be considered in the planning ph

ase of a building. Similar to passive ventilation strategies, passive solar design manipulates the building and its apertures both to control solar heat gain for direct heating and to control unwanted heat. Passive solar building design uses direct and indirect solar gain for heating in combination with the use of building elements like the Trombe wall, heat absorbing materials like adobe and phase-change materials for slowing indoor air temperature swings. Windcatchers are also used for the enhancement of passive ventilation, in relationship to passive solar building design and design strategies like earth sheltering, special orientation and shape of buildings, as well as the use of wide roofs or vegetation. Passive solar building is dependent on a specific knowledge of the sun’s cycles throughout the day and the year for the exact site of a building. It can be combined with other indoor climate control techniques and minimize their energy consumption and maximize their capacity.