PASSIVE SOLAR ARCHITECTURE:

BASICS

J. K. Nayak
Energy Systems Engineering
IIT, Powai, Mumbai 400 076
PASSIVE SOLAR
ARCHITECTURE

INTRODUCTION
EXAMPLES: IMPORTANCE &
USEFULNESS
PASSIVE FEATURES
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Introduction

PSA : an ancient concept

Modern science has provided
quantitative support
Large potential for energy
conservation
Can lead to a thermally
comfortable indoor environment
Introduction
DEFINITION
Collection, storage, distribution and
control of energy flow by natural
processes of heat and mass transfer
WORKING DEFINITION
Use natural energy (sun, wind, etc.) to
conserve conventional energy for
achieving thermal comfort
Thermal comfort refers to comfortable
indoor conditions (temperature, humidity,
air movement)
LEDeG Trainees’ Hostel, Leh
Cold and Sunny Direct gain; Trombe wall
Solar access
and
daylighting
design
Himurja office
building, Shimla

COLD CLIMATE
Direct gain
⌧Windows
⌧Solarium
⌧Air heaters
⌧Solar chimney
⌧Light shelves
Himachal Pradesh State Co-operative
Bank, Shimla

Modified Trombe wall

Double glazed windows
Sunspaces
Air-lock lobby
Solar air heater (Roof)
Section of the building showing
modified Trombe wall
Roof collector
MLA hostel,
Shimla
•Direct gain
•Overhang
•Insulation
•Trombe wall
and sunspaces

Solar cooker Solar water heater

Residence of Sudha and Atam Kumar, New Delhi
Composite Climate
Solar exposure
Wall and roof insulation

Wind tower with evaporative cooling

Wall and roof surfaces: reflective
 TERI Retreat, Gurgaon
Earth air tunnel
Solar chimney
Direct gain
Insulation
PV: solar roof
PV-Gasifier
hybrid system
 Earth-air tunnel
System: passive
space conditioning

Water and waste

management system
American Institute of Indian Studies, Gurgaon
Examples: MANILA

WARM & HUMID

Light shelves
Pergolas
Daylighting
Computer
controlled energy
management
system
Estimated annual
energy consumption
approx. 1/3 rd of a
conventional
building
EXAMPLES: OKINAWA

WARM AND HUMID

CLIMATE
Earth on roof
Pergolas
Shading
Cross ventilation
Night flushing
CIVIC CENTER IN
JAPAN SHOWING
CONCERN FOR
PUBLIC WELFARE
Examples: JODHPUR
DESERT CLIMATE
Wind tower with
evaporative cooling
Earth berming
Shading
Massive structures
Examples: NEGEV

ARID CLIMATE
PARTIAL SUNK
EARTH-BERMING
(U=0.19 W/m2-K)
ROOF INSULATION
(U=0.28 W/m2-K)
SHADING
CROSS-
VENTILATION
Earth Berming
EXAMPLE
BRAMPTON (NORTH-
WEST OF TORONTO)
•CLIMATE:
LONG COLD WINTER,
SHORT BUT WARM
AND HUMID SUMMER
•KEY FEATURES:
Sunspace ,
superinsulation,
High-performance
Windows, HVAC,
Energy efficient
Devices.
JAPANESE WISH HOUSE: IWAKI (NORTH OF TOKYO)

CLIMATE:
MILD WINTER
HOT AND HUMID IN
SUMMER
KEY FEATURES:
Photovoltaic-thermal
hybrid collector
PCM storage
Insulation
Dehumidification with
lithium bromide
COMPARISON OF ANNUAL LOAD (kWh/house)
 Examples: OSHIMA

MODERATE
CLIMATE
Sunspace
Roof-integrated
systems
Cross ventilation
Insulation
TORRENT RESEARCH CENTRE, AHMEDABAD
HOT & DRY CLIMATE
BUILDING:Passive down-draft evaporative cooling
(PDEC) system
Insulated
Cavity walls
Natural light and ventilation
Dust reduction mechanisms
PASSIVE DOWNDRAFT EVAPORATIVE COOLING SYSTEM

A system of inlet and outlet

shafts
Locations, sizes and heights :
generate required air
movement
A fine spray of water cools the
air at entry
6-9 air change rates per hour
observed
Strategy:
Hot season: evaporative
cooling
Monsoon: cooling off, induce
ventilation by fans
Winter:ventilation minimised
(inlets closed by shutters)
GERMAN ZERO-HEATING-ENERGY HOUSE
BERLIN SATELLITE TOWN OF SPANDAU

Key features: super glazing, active solar

collectors, storage, heat recovery, energy efficient
devices
PASSIVE FEATURES

DIRECT
GAIN
PASSIVE FEATURES

TROMBE WALL
PASSIVE FEATURES

SOLAR CHIMNEY
PASSIVE FEATURES

SUN SPACE
PASSIVE FEATURES

EARTH-
BERMING
PASSIVE FEATURES

WIND TOWER
EVAPORATIVE
COOLING
WIND TOWER
EVAPORATIVE
COOLING
PASSIVE FEATURES

EARTH AIR
TUNNEL
PASSIVE FEATURES

ROOF GARDEN
OTHER PASSIVE FEATURES

Shading devices
Desiccant cooling
Roof pond
Transwall
Roof radiation trap
Isolated gain systems
Courtyards (traditional architecture)
etc.
DAYLIGHTING

Vision is by far the most developed of all our

senses; Light has been the main pre-requisite for
sensing things
Daylight: coolest and efficient source of light
Cfl less efficient by about 20% to 40%
Heating effect of daylighting is about 1 w per lumen;
It is much less than that of artificial lighting
Various components for admitting daylighting
shown in next few slides
EXAMPLES OF SPA :
MINNEAPOLIS

DAYLIGHTING
DAYLIGHTING COMPONENTS

CLERESTORY
DAYLIGHTING COMPONENTS

LIGHT SHELF
DAYLIGHTING COMPONENTS

ATRIUM
SIMPLE TECHNIQUES
can be easily incorporated in the building
without much additional cost.
refer to design considerations involving :
• site conditions :
• landform
• vegetation
• waterbodies
• street width and orientation
• open spaces and built form
• building orientation
• planform
SIMPLE TECHNIQUES
building envelope
⌧roof type: rcc, rcc with insulation, etc.
⌧wall type: brick, stone, accb
⌧external colour and texture:
smooth and light colour: reflects more
rough textured surface: self-shading
larger surface area for re-radiation
white or lighter shades: higher emissivity
⌧fenestration (openings)
NEW CHALLENGES

Materials
Transparent insulation
Advanced glazings
NEW CHALLENGES

Systems
Buildings integrated with photovoltaic
arrays
Buildings integrated with solar
collectors
Buildings integrated with active
systems
e.g.
⌧Domestic hot water systems
⌧Solar cookers
Buildings integrated
With photovoltaic
Arrays
SIMULATION
To find out if the design can achieve the
expected requirements
Results can be quantified
temperature
load
energy savings

. Relative comparison of
design alternatives
CONCLUSIONS

Introduction to passive solar

architecture
Challenges facing architects in view
of new technology
Importance of simulation studies to
integrate design with passive solar
architecture
REMARKS
Necessary to consider building as a
system
Focus on total energy use (not only
heating and/or cooling)
Integrate different technologies
Energy-conservation (insulation, super
windows)
Passive solar
Active solar
Develop whole building concept
REMARKS
Designing new, innovative building: requires
multi-disciplinary design team
Energy aspects be considered at the early stage
Architects and engineers work together
Simulation: desirable
Construction practices
User behaviour
THANK YOU