• To ensure the best possible indoor thermal conditions by relying on structural

(passive) controls, which may completely eliminate the need for any mechanical
(active) controls

2
3
• Depends on air-to-air transmittance of the construction
• Low U-value will reduce all forms of conduction heat transfer through the
building envelope
• Conduction flow would be large, if the temperature difference were large.
• With small temperature differences between the inside and outside (𝑇𝑜 −
𝑇𝑖 ), the heat flow would be small
• In such a case, thermal insulation would not be much effective
• When construction is exposed to direct radiation, Sol-air temperature must
be considered
• ∆𝑇 = 𝑇𝑠 − 𝑇𝑖 ; will be higher, so insulation is needed

4
• Capacitive insulation
• Important terms
• Time lag
• Decrement factor
• Need to find the optimum time lag
• Depends on orientation of the construction

5
• An east facing wall receives its maximum heating at around 0830 hours
• Heat is required at 2230 hrs
• So acceptable time lag is around 14 h

6
• A west facing wall receives its maximum heating at around 1630 hours
• Heat is required at 2230 – 0600 hrs
• Minimum time lag - 6 h
• 9- 10 h preferable

7
• Roof coverings receive maximum heating at around 1300 hours
• Heat is required at 2230 – 0600 hrs
• Minimum time lag - 9.5 h
• 12- 13 h preferable

8
9
• The greatest source of heat gain can be the solar radiation entering
through a window.
• Can increase the indoor temperature much above the out-door air
temperature
• Window glasses are practically transparent for short-wave infra-red
radiation emitted by the sun, but almost opaque for long-wave radiation
emitted by objects in the room
• Radiant heat, once entered through a window, is trapped inside the
building
• Solar overheating is a problem in all tropical climates
• Four methods available for the reduction of solar heat gain through
windows
• Orientation and window size
• External shading devices
• internal blinds & curtains
• Use of special glasses
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11
 variations of solar radiation intensities on a horizontal surface and on
vertical walls for latitude 10S
12
 variations of solar radiation intensities on a horizontal surface and on
vertical walls for latitude 330S
13
 1° South 33° South

In both locations, but especially near the Equator, the horizontal surface
receives the greatest intensity

14
 1° South 33° South

At the higher latitude the wall facing the Equator receives the next highest
intensity in the winter (when the sun is low) but it receives very little in the
summer
In the equatorial location north and south walls receive the least intensity
and that only for short periods of the year 15
 1° South 33° South

East and west facing walls receive the second highest intensities in the
equatorial location and consistently large intensities even at the higher
latitude

16
• In the equatorial location, if solar heat gain is to be avoided the main
windows should face north or south
• At the higher latitude, an orientation away from the Equator would receive
the least sunshine
• But here it may be desirable to have some solar heat gain in the winter,
when the sun is low
• So an orientation towards the Equator may be preferable with adequate
shading devices
• Only minor openings of unimportant rooms should be placed on the east
and west side.
• Solar heat gain on the west side can be particularly troublesome as its
maximum intensity coincides with the hottest part of the day
• If wind is to be captured or a pleasant view is to be utilised, etc these
considerations may, at times, override the solar considerations.

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18
• Not very effective way of solar control
• Blocks direct radiation, but absorbs heat and convects/reradiate part of it
to the interior
• Half of this re-radiation is outwards, but as it is of a long wavelength, it is
stopped by the window glass
• Average daily solar gain factor:
• 72% for normal glazed window without any blinds or curtains
• 55% with venetian blinds (only 17% reduction)

19
20
• Ordinary window glass transmits a large proportion of all radiation
between 300 and 3000 nm, both visible light and short wave infra red
• Its transmittance is selective
• Selective transmittance can be modified by varying the composition of the
glass to reduce the infra-red transmission, and only slightly affecting the
light transmission
• Known as ‘heat absorbing glass’
• transmittance may be reduced from 74% to less than 42%.
• the reduction in transmittance is accompanied by a corresponding increase
in absorbance

21
• The reduction in transmittance is accompanied by a corresponding increase in
absorbance
• Absorbed heat will be reradiated and convected partly to the outside and partly to
the inside
• Net improvement will not be as great as the reduction in transmittance
• Total solar gain, is reduced from 83% only to 68%

22
• Mount the heat absorbing glass at some distance (0.5 to 1m) in front of an
ordinary glazed window
• This would reduce the transmission and the absorbed heat would be
dissipated on both faces to the outside air
• Heat reradiated towards the window would be at long wavelengths, for
which the ordinary glass window is opaque

23
• Heat absorbing glasses achieve a selective transmittance by selectivity in
absorption
• Heat reflecting glass achieves a similar selective transmittance by
selectivity in reflection
• The glass is coated by a thin film of metal (usually nickel or gold), applied
by vacuum evaporation
• Such glasses with coatings absorb very little heat
• Therefore the improvement in reducing the total solar gain is far greater

24
• Contain submicroscopic halide crystals which turn dark when exposed to
strong light and regain their transparency when the light source is
removed.
• Their transmittance may thus vary between 74% and 1%.

25
• When the angle of incidence is other than normal, the transmittance (t) is
reduced
• For diffuse radiation the coefficients do not change with the angle of
incidence.
• solar gain factor (θ) expresses the proportion of the total solar heat
admitted by a window
• The total incident radiation is to be multiplied by this single value, thus:
• Qs =Axlxθ

26
• The value of this for different angles of incidence will be graphically
represented
• Top line: reflectance (r)
• Lower line: transmittance(t)
• Between two thin lines : absorbance (a)
• Up to heavy line : solar gain factor (including transmittance plus part of absorbed energy
emitted inwards)

27
• The horizontal component of the angle of incidence (δ) will be the
difference between the solar azimuth and the wall azimuth.
• If, azimuth angle is 239 and the wall is facing west (2700)
• δ = 2700 —2390 = 310
• The vertical component is the same as the solar altitude angle itself (γ)
• The angle of incidence (β), i.e. the angle between a line perpendicular to
the wall and the sun’s direction, can be found by the spherical cosine
equation
• cos β =cos δ x cos γ

28
29
• The performance of shading devices is specified by two angles:
• the horizontal shadow angle (δ) characterizes a vertical shading device
• the vertical shadow angle (є) characterizes a horizontal shading device
• These are both measured from a line perpendicular to the elevation
• And indicate the limit, beyond which the sun would be excluded but within
which the sun would reach the point considered.
• The shadow angle protractor gives a representation of these shadow
angles on a horizontal plane in stereographic projection and to the same
scale as the sun-path diagrams or solar charts

30
• The shadow angle protractor gives a representation of these shadow
angles on a horizontal plane in stereographic projection and to the same
scale as the sun-path diagrams or solar charts
• The perimeter scale gives the horizontal shadow angle (δ) up to -900 to the
left and +900 to the right of the centre line
• The arcs indicate the vertical shadow angle (є) from 00, given by the
horizon circle, to 900, the zenith point

31
 Vertical shading devices
 Vertical devices consist of louvre blades or projecting fins in a vertical position
 The horizontal shadow angle (δ) measures their performance
 Narrow blades with close spacing may give the same shadow angle as broader blades with
wider spacing
• Horizontal shading devices
• Horizontal devices may be canopies, horizontal louvre blades or externally applied venetian
blinds
• Their performance will be measured by a vertical shadow angle (є)
• Egg-crate devices
• Egg-crate devices are combinations of horizontal and vertical elements.
• Grille-blocks and decorative screens may fall into this category

32
 This type of device is most effective when the sun is to one side of the
elevation, such as an eastern or western elevation
 A vertical device to be effective when the sun is opposite to the wall
considered, would have to give almost complete cover of the whole
window.
33
• These will be most effective when the sun is opposite to the building face
considered and at a high angle, such as for north and south facing walls.
• To exclude a low angle sun, this type of device would have to cover the
window completely, permitting a view downwards only

34
35
36
• Decide when shading is necessary, at what times of the year and between what
hours of the day
• The best method is to identify the overheated period from the compiled climatic
data
• Reference can be made to the CET analysis
• Find out the overheated period and mark it on the sunpath diagram

37
 The overheated period is defined
and shown on the solar chart. The
shadow angle protractor is placed
on the chart. vertical (є) and
horizontal (δ) shadow angles can
be read defining a mask which
would cover the overheated area

є= 400 would give cover

up to line B B’ this
requires a broader
horizontal device, but the
vertical device could be
reduced to;
δ= —470 to -80—
є = l60 Є= 60° would leave exposure in
would cover the morning hours (outside the Minor relaxation can give great
the whole period. A A’ line) this could be covered economies: Є =400 with
by: δ =59° to + 170 δ =—47° to — 8°
would admit the sun for short periods
only in December
38
and April, shown by shaded area.