2/8/2023

Building Science II

L e c t u r e 2
Sun as Heating Device
Sun Movement & Shading
Principles of Solar Angles
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The Sun

 Sun provides nearly all energy that keeps

Earth warm and energy for living.
 Earth’s climate is driven by energy input from
sun.

Two essential aspects:

1. Movement of sun (solar geometry)
2. Energy flows from sun and how to handle it
(exclude it or use it)

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Earth Axis

Earth’s axis is not

normal to the plane of
its orbit, but tilted by
23.5°

Solar Position

Darkness

Polar night at the south pole, antartica.

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The Seasons

 The tilt of Earth’s rotational axis and

earth’s orbit work together to create
seasons

 As Earth travels around Sun, it remains tipped

in same direction. Sometimes the northern
half of Earth is pointing towards Sun
(Summer) and it is pointing away (Winter)

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The Seasons
 If you live near the equator, no seasons
except summer
 Countries with 4 seasons: Canada, Australia,
China, France, UK, Korea, Romania, Switzerland, Greece

Opposite Seasons
At North Pole, Sun stays up for At North Pole, Sun stays down for
6 months (182 straight days) during 6 months (182 straight days) during
Summer Winter.

 when northern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun,

southern hemisphere is tilted away. This explains why
hemispheres have (Opposite Seasons )

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The Seasons
For North or South Pole, there are two very long seasons:
-sun stays up all summer
-sun stays down all winter

In winter, North pole In summer, North

gets 24hours pole gets 24hours
darkness. sunlight

In winter, South pole In summer, South

gets 24hours sunlight pole gets 24hours
darkness.

The Solstices

(21 June):
longest daylight hours of the year

12 + 12 hours (equal)
Sun is exactly
overhead at a point on
the equatorial line.
(21 December): 冬至 Equinoxes occur twice
shortest daylight hours of the year a year:
21 March and
23 September.

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The Equinoxes
 The Earth is neither tilted directly towards nor
directly away from the Sun. Both hemispheres
received equal amounts of sunlight.
 Equinoxes mark the seasons of Spring and Autumn.

Equinoxes occur twice a year:

21 March
23 September

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Spring

Summer

Average hours of daylight in UK

Autumn

Winter

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Latitude measures how far North or South a

country is from the Equator (in degree)

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Latitude
San Diego is 33° North of the equator and Sydney is 33° South of the equator.
When it’s Spring in U.S, it is Autumn in Australia and vice versa.
When it’s Winter in U.S, it is Summer in Australia.

Australia celebrates Christmas on beach in the Summer sunshine.

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Greenwich Meridian (0° longitude)-

where East meets West

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Greenwich Meridian Time, GMT

The time zones should change by one hour for

every 15 degrees of longitude.

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Earth-Sun Geometry
 the Earth is closest to the Sun in January(perihelion)
and farthest from the Sun in July (aphelion).

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All of us on Earth and in orbit reached our closest point

to the Sun, January 5 at 2:48 EST or 7:48 Universal Time
(UT).

PERIHELION - This point of closest approach to the Sun.

APHELION - The point when Earth is farthest from the

Sun.

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Apogee- the points of farthest approach

Perigee-the closest approach

This diagram shows the relation between the line of solstice

and the line of apsides of Earth’s elliptical orbit. The orbital
ellipse (with eccentricity exaggerated for effect) goes through
each of the six Earth images, which are sequentially the
perihelion (periapsis—nearest point to the sun) on anywhere
from 2 January to 5 January, the point of March equinox on 20
or 21 March, the point of June solstice on 20 or 21 June, the
aphelion (apoapsis—farthest point from the sun) on anywhere
from 4 July to 7 July, the September equinox on 22 or 23
September, and the December solstice on 21 or 22
December. Source : http://bit.ly/1pQn7wy
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Sun Movement and Shading

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The Atmosphere

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 The condition of sky

determines the amount
of solar radiation
received by building.
 More energy received
when sky is clearer.

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Solar Irradiance
Power per unit area produced by Sun in electromagnetic
radiation- watts per square meter (W/m2)
Greenland

Russia

US

Equator

Brazil

Africa

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Solar Insolation
Total amount of electromagnetic energy collected
on surface area within given time.
Unit: watt hour per sq metre (Wh/m2)

Energy more diffuse (Light & heat)

Equator Direct
2.5 times more energy
than poles (more
concentrated)

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Solar Insolation
The angle the sun’s rays make with the earth’s surface
also affects solar radiation levels. When the angle is
oblique, the rays are less intense.

 Part of the reason for the decrease in intensity is the

radiation that is absorbed by the atmosphere during
the longer trip through it by oblique rays.
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Solar Radiation

23.5° tilt

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Solar Insolation
 When it is cloudy, the rays are diffused and even
less radiation reaches the earth’s surface. Shadows
are less severe and light is more even.

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Altitude & Azimuth

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Altitude & Azimuth

Summer sun is higher

Winter sun is lower

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Shadow Angles

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Stereographic Sun Path Diagram

Figure 2 - Conceptualising how the sun-

path diagram actually represents the entire
sky dome.

The best way to conceptualise a sun-path diagram such as the one shown
above is to liken it to a photograph of the sky, taken whilst lying on your back
looking straight up towards the zenith with a 180° fish eye lens. The paths
of the sun at different times of the year can then be projected onto this
flattened hemisphere (Figure 2).

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The generation of each sun-path line is done by determining the exact position of
the Sun as it passes through the sky in sub-hourly increments for each date - in
most cases on the 1st or 21st of each month. This is then projected from the sky
dome onto the flat image, as shown below.

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Follow the steps below to read the Sun position from

a stereographic sun-path diagram:
Step 1 - Locate the required hour line on the
diagram.
Step 2 - Locate the required date line, remembering
that solid are used for Jan-Jun and dotted lines for
Jul-Dec.
Step 3 - Find the intersection point of the hour and
date lines. Remember to intersect solid with solid
and dotted with dotted lines.
Step 4 - Draw a line from the very centre of the
diagram, through the intersection point, out to the
perimeter of the diagram.
Step 5 - Read the azimuth as an angle taken
clockwise from North. In this case, the value is about
62°.
Step 6 - Trace a concentric circle around from the
intersection point to the vertical North axis, on which
is displayed the altitude angles.
Step 7 - Interpolate between the concentric circle
lines to find the altitude. In this case the intersection
point sits exactly on the 30° line.
This gives the position of the sun, fully defined as an
azimuth and altitude.

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Sun Path

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Adapted from: Florida solar energy center. www.fsec.ucf.edu

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Sun Path Diagram

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Sun Path Chart

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Horizontal & Vertical Shadow Angle

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Passive Design

 Does not require mechanical heating or

cooling.
 Take advantage of natural energy flows to
maintain thermal comfort.
 Correct orientation assist passive heating
and cooling.

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6 main Passive Strategies

1. Passive solar heating

2. Sun Shading
3. Exposed mass + night purge ventilation
4. Natural ventilation
5. Direct evaporation cooling
6. Indirect evaporation cooling

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Advantages of Passive Design

 Incorporating the principles of passive

design in your home:
1. Significantly improves comfort
2. Reduces or eliminates heating and cooling bills
3. Reduces greenhouse gas emissions from heating,
cooling, mechanical ventilation and lighting.

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Passive Design
 House orientation – positioning the house to allow
maximum sun in the winter and coolness in the summer.
 Solar energy – using solar panels for water heating.
 Use of structural elements - for example, wide eaves
protect from the sun in summer and provide increased
weather protection in winter.
 Placement and glazing of windows – the larger
windows should face the sun to capture the warmth, and
use glazing and/or shading to stop heat escaping for
winter.
 Ventilation – using window joinery that allows ventilation,
such as security catches allowing windows to remain
partially open, or vents in the joinery.
 Insulation – to reduce heat loss.

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Sun Shading

 Sun shading can be accomplished through a number

of different methods.
 In climates with a high cooling load, sun entering the
space can increase cooling energy use, whereas in
heating climates, the excess sun may be desirable,
but glare and high contrast ratios may make it
difficult for occupants to work.
 In either case, properly design overhangs and light
shelves can enhance day lighting while reducing
uncomfortable glare and unwanted solar gain.

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Sun Shading

There are three basic categories of

shading devices:
1. Landscaping
2. Roof overhangs
3. Exterior and interior shading devices

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Sun Shading - Landscaping

 In cooling and heating climate, trees work best on the
east and west sides of the building. They are most
effective in these locations if they are placed at a
distance from the building.
 Tree that will reach a medium to large size should be
located 16-22 feet from the side of a house.
 Smaller trees can be planted closer at about 10-16 feet

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Sun Shading
 Landscaping combined with
structural elements like
pergolas is effective
shading strategies for east
and west windows.
 Shrubbery can shade
paved areas, reducing heat
radiated to the building.

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Living Awnings

 Deciduous trees and

trellises with deciduous
vines are very good
shading devices.

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Vegetated Facade

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Sun Shading - Roof Overhangs

 Cheaper and more reliable.
 Provides sufficient shading on east and west facing
facades.
 Deep overhang can be a porch.

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Sun Shading
Exterior shading device
 Exterior devices and be both fixed and
adjustable.
 There are two types:
1. Fixed shading device
2. Adjustable shading device

Lighter – coloured shading device reflect more

heat.
Protect skylight and roof glazing with external
blinds or louvers.

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Daylighting within a building

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Low angle Sun

Different angles of the sun

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Shading Devices - Fixed

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Shading Coefficient
a value that determines one type of thermal performance
of a glass unit (panel or window) in a building.

Adapted from slideshare.net

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Shading Strategies – East & West

Elevations

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Shading Devices - Adjustable

 Adjustable shading allows the user to choose the
desired level of shade.
 Adjustable shading gives greater control while
enabling daylight levels and views to be
manipulated.
 Appropriate adjustable systems include sliding
screens, louver screens, shutters, retractable
awnings and adjustable external blinds.

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Internal Sun Shading Systems

 Interior shading devices
 The benefits are that such interior devices are low
cost and easy to operate. Also, interior shading can
especially effective if designed to provide both sun
control and insulation during the day in the cooling
season and at night in the heating season.

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Internal Sun Shading Systems

 Interior shades can also be effective, in some
situations. They need to be brightly reflecting toward
the outside, so that solar radiation admitted through
the glass is reflected by the shade back out through
the window. Thus little of the sun’s radiant heat can
remain inside the building.

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Solar Pergola
 can aid in increasing the energy efficiency of houses.
Traditional pergolas use flat louvers, parallel to the
ground to provide semi shaded conditions
underneath pergola.
 However, by positioning the pergola on the north
side of the house and placing louvers on the a low
angle, winter sun is able to penetrate through the
slats, increasing the amount of the light entering
windows on the north facing wall whilst blocking the
light from the high altitude, summer sun.

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Solar Pergola

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Night Purge Ventilation

During the day, thermal mass

soaks up heat; at night it is
cooled by outside air.

Keep windows closed during the

day, but open at night to flush
Stack ventilation warm air out of the building
and cool thermal mass for the
next day.

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Principle of Good Orientation

 Good orientation for passive cooling excludes
unwanted sun and hot winds and ensures access to
cooling breezes.
 In hot humid climates and hot dry climates with warm
winters, direct and reflected sun light should be
excluded at all times of the year.

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Principle of Good Orientation

 Reduce the glazed areas in the building facing
East and West directions and/or to place unoccupied
or non air conditioned spaces on the east and west
sides of the building as buffering or insulating zones.

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Principle of Good Orientation

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Radiant Heat - Glazing

 Unprotected glass is often the greatest source of
unwanted heat gain in a home.
 Radiant heat from the sun passes through glass and
is absorbed by building elements and furnishings,
which the re-radiate it.
 In most climates, ‘trapping’ radiant heat is desirable
for winter heating but must be avoided in summer.

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Design Strategies – Hot and Arid climate –

Passive solar & ventilation

 Place a shaded courtyard next to the main living

areas to act as a cool air well. Tall, narrow,
generously planted courtyard are the most effective
when positioned so that they are shaded by the
house.

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Design Strategies – Hot Humid and temperate

climate
 Provide passive solar shading to all north facing
openings, using shade structure or correctly sized
eaves.
 Use adjustable shade screens or deep overhangs to
the east and west.
 Adjustable shade screens are the most effective at
excluding low angle sun.

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Design Strategies – Warm Humid and temperate

climate – Passive solar & heating
 A roof monitor
 A monitor is a skylight, cupola, or clerestory shed
roof window.
 Heat is collected in the cavity of walls and roofs.
 This heat can be moved to other parts of a building
by using ducts and fans.

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Design Strategies – Warm Humid

and temperate climate – Passive
heating
A thermo siphoning wall
 Heat can be stored in cylinders filled with water.
 It can be placed inside a green house or other
glass wall.

Plastic
cylinders
filled with
water
Insulating Shutter

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Design Strategies – Warm Humid and

temperate climate – Passive heating
and cooling
 Solar Pond / Roof Pond
Solar pond using
 In the winter, it is exposed to solar
water filled plastic
radiation. It heats up and radiates bags Sliding roof in
the heat into the building usually closed position
through metal ceiling. At night, an
insulated roof closes over the pond
to help hold in the heat.
 In the summer, the insulation roof is
kept closed over the pond during
Radiant Heat
the day. The cool water draws the
heat from the building. At night the
roof is opened, and the heat
Living Room
absorbed by the water during the
day is lost to the cooler night air.

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Roof Pond

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Building Orientation / Exposure

Increase natural daylighting with shaded
skylights and windows. The following rules of
Case Study
thumb:
North Maximise windows, especially
to living areas, provide
shading to the correct angle
East Minimise windows where
possible, provide deep
overhangs, external blinds or
pergolas
West Eliminate windows where
possible, provide the ability
for complete shading by deep
pergolas or other operable
devices
South Minimise large windows,
provide some weather
protection

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Building Orientation / Exposure

Why Southern
exposure in demand
in Northern
hemisphere?
Summer
Because both in
summer and winter,
the wall of house that
faces South Pole also
faces the Sun.

Winter

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Building Orientation

Beijing is located quite far North

(N40deg), extremely cold in Winter (Oct
to March). Hence, large South windows
are to catch the warmth of low winter sun
to reduce heating cost.

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Building Shape

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Rooms facing South don’t require heating

Summer & Winter sun path

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Building Exposure

Good design: Small East-West exposure

Bad design: Large East-West exposure

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Minimising East / West Exposure

Adapted from: Florida solar energy center. www.fsec.ucf.edu

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Deep eaves block the

Summer sun but let the
Winter sun in.

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Design Solution

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