Passive Solar Commercial And Institutional Buildings

This reference work encourages the design of buildings which are adapted to certain climates. The buildings presented as examples are designed for a future when non-renewable resources are scarce and expensive, and solar energy is valued for its environmen

First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

New buildings can be designed to be solar oriented, naturally heated and cooled, naturally lit and ventilated, and made with renewable, sustainable materials—no matter the location or climate. In this comprehensive overview of passive solar design, two of America’s solar pioneers give homeowners, architects, designers, and builders the keys to successfully harnessing the sun and maximizing climate resources for heating, cooling, ventilation, and daylighting. Bainbridge and Haggard draw upon examples from their own experiences, as well as those of others, of more than three decades to offer both overarching principles as well as the details and formulas needed to successfully design a more comfortable, healthy, and secure place in which to live, laugh, dance, and be comfortable. Even if the power goes off. Passive Solar Architecture also discusses “greener” and more-sustainable building materials and how to use them, and explores the historical roots of green design that have made possible buildings that produce more energy and other resources than they use.

Describes developments in passive solar technology that will save time, energy, and resources in planning for the buildings of the future.This companion to Passive Cooling and Solar Building Architecture (volumes 8 and 9) describes developments in passive solar technology that will save time, energy, and resources in planning for the buildings of the future. It is filled with tips and useful research for architects and designers and includes three substantial chapters on general modeling. Passive solar heating works. Properly designed and constructed, it is cost-effective, practical, comfortable, and aesthetic. Balcomb's introductory remarks set the tone for the rest of the contributions, which describe the considerable record of achievements in passive solar heating. Balcomb summarizes and evaluates the era between 1976 and 1983 when most of the major developments took place and highlights the design features that have contributed to effective buildings. Three chapters cover modeling passive systems (applicable to both heating and cooling), and six chapters focus on the application of passive solar heating, with emphasis on components, analytical results for specific systems, test modules, subsystem integration into buildings, performance monitoring and results, and design tools.J. Douglas Balcomb is a Principal Engineer with the Solar Energy Research Institute.

The report presents an economic model for evaluating passive solar designs in commercial environments. It discusses the literature on this topic and draws upon this literature to develop a general methodological framework. The model incorporates a life-cycle costing approach that focuses on the costs of purchase, installation, maintenance, repairs, replacement, and energy. It includes a detailed analysis of tax laws affecting the use of solar energy in commercial buildings. Possible methods of treating difficult-to-measure benefits and costs, such as effects of the passive solar design on resale value of the building and on lighting costs, rental income from the building, and the use of commercial space, are presented. The model is illustrated in two case examples of prototypical solar designs for low-rise commercial buildings in an urban setting.

Active solar systems for air heating are a straightforward yet effective way of using solar energy for space heating and tempering ventilation air. They offer some unique advantages over solar water systems, can offer improved comfort and fuller use of solar gains than passive solar systems and are a natural fit with mechanically ventilated buildings. They can be economical, with short pay-back periods and can act not only as space heating or ventilation air heating but also for water pre-heating, sunshading, electricity generation (with hybrid photovoltaic systems) and can help induce cooling. This design handbook takes architects and building engineers through the process of designing and selecting an active solar system from the six types presented, optimizing the system using nomograms and curves, and finally dimensioning the components of the system. Tips are offered regarding the construction and how to avoid problems. The book will provide essential design information for all architects, building engineers and other building design professionals and all those concerned to reduce the environmental impact of buildings.