Passive Solar Buildings

A passive solar home has four features that distinguish it

from a conventionally heated one.
Since the sun is the primary source of heat, a passive solar
design includes:
a method to collect solar energy;
a way of storing that energy;
a system to distribute energy in the form of heat to the
living spaces; and
a means for controlling the heat that reaches the living
spaces.
The passive solar home should always be built to high
energy conservation standards. Also, it must be carefully
planned and designed to balance the glass area and the storage
mass. Otherwise, the house may overheat, under heat, or have
undesirable temperature swings. Without proper planning, your
passive solar home could end up using more energy than it
Figure 1. The ideal site offers summer shading, winter
collects.
wind block, and a clear solar collection zone to the south.

Requirement of good site for construction House plan to be used for construction
Some questions for the requirements for good site for
construction are Is your plan designed for solar, or do you want to adapt a
standard plan?
Is your site clear of potential sun blockers on the south side,
Extensive modifications, such as changing the shape of the
such as evergreen trees or buildings which would interfere
house, adding a second story, or changing a large number of
with solar energy collection?
windows may make your home more expensive to build.
Are there thick evergreens to the west to provide summer These changes may also make it harder to balance the solar
shading and winter windblock? elements.
Are there deciduous trees to the north and east that will If youve picked a passive solar house plan, is it designed
shade the ground surrounding the house in summer yet for North Carolina? Insulation, heating requirements, and
allow the sun to warm it in winter? the amount of south-facing overhang for summer shading
Are there windblocks for the prevailing southwest winter will vary throughout the United States. Try to start with a
winds? This can be done by low evergreens, or taller plan suited to North Carolinas geography and climate.
evergreens located at such a distance to the southwest that Are you willing to spend preliminary time looking at
they do not block the prime winter collection zone to the passive solar homes, comparing features, reading about
south. solar, and talking with those who have solar design or
Does the south side offer a pleasing view? Most of your building experience?
window area will face this direction.
Will adjacent property be developed in such a way that it
will block the sun at a later time?

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 Requirement of an expert in construction
Do you have an architect or qualified designer to draw a
solar plan? It takes real expertise to design a home that is The passive solar system is part of the house itself. It
livable, attractive, and performs well. doesnt require external power, and there are no moving parts
to break down. Standard building materials can be used.
If you plan to design your own home, will you be able to
balance the solar elements? If youre drawing your own Sometimes active and passive components are combined to
plan, check with your local lending agency first to deter- improve distribution of the heat. The result is a hybrid system.
The active parts are usually small fans, blowers, or dampers.
mine their requirements. You will also want to check local
codes and ordinances.
Do you know of a builder or contractor with experience PASSIVE SOLAR SYSTEMS
building passive solar homes? This could affect construc-
tion time, costs, and even how well the system performs. All passive solar homes have these common elements:
Collection To collect solar energy, double-glazed
Passive solar systems can contribute 30 to 70 percent of windows are used on the south-facing side of the house.
home heating demands, depending upon the design.
Storage After the suns energy has been collected, some
heat is immediately used in the living spaces and some is
Tax credits stored for later use. The storage, called thermal mass, is
usually built into the floors and/or interior walls. Mass is
Some places like North Carolina offers a 35 percent tax characterized by its ability to absorb heat, store it, and
credit (up to a maximum credit of $3500) for residential release it slowly as the temperature inside the house falls.
passive or active solar energy heating systems? For Concrete, stone, brick, and water can be used as mass.
commercial buildings, there is also a 35 percent tax credit
available (up to a maximum credit of $250,000). Check Distribution Heat stored in floors and walls is slowly
with the North Carolina Department of Revenue or the released by radiation, convection and conduction. In a
North Carolina Solar Center for details on eligibility hybrid system, fans, vents, and blowers may be used to
requirements. distribute the heat.
There are several types of passive solar systems that can be
used in North Carolina homes. The most common are direct
ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE SOLAR gain, indirect gain, and isolated gain.
Active solar systems usually collect the suns energy with
large panels through which air or a liquid are pumped. Solar DIRECT GAIN
energy heats the air or liquid, which is pumped into a storage
area and then recirculated to the panels. Direct gain is the simplest approach and usually the most
The stored heat is recovered by a heat exchanger and economical to build. With this system, sunlight enters the house
distributed to areas in the house by a mechanical system. through large areas of south-facing glass. It heats the floor and
In recent years, active systems have most frequently been walls directly.
used for the heating of domestic water. They can also be used Energy from the mass in floors and walls is released to the
in new construction or for retrofit applications when they are living space when the inside air temperature is lower than that
added
water tofor
eligible
residencesanand
aexisting
heating 35% taxhouse
systems,
$250,000 forfor
which
credit up space
requireorregular
water
to a maximum
business and heating. Solar
maintenance,
of $1400
industry. for are of the mass.

Passive solar systems have collector, storage, and distribu-

tion elements, but they dont use a mechanical system of panels,
pumps, and heat exchangers. Southfacing windows collect solar
energy. The floors and walls can be used to store the heat.
Distribution into the living space occurs naturally by radiation,
convection, and conduction.

Figure 2. Direct gain solar system.

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 Clerestory windows and skylights are sometimes used to Advantages of the Direct Gain System:
increase the amount of sunlight hitting the back area of walls
or floors. They can help improve the performance of the direct It is comparatively low in cost to build, since no special
gain system. Skylights, however, tend to create overheating room has to be added. The floor, walls, or even an inside-
problems in the summer and may leak if improperly installed. wall fireplace can serve as the storage mass. The solar
elements are incorporated into the living space.
It provides direct heating. There is no need to transfer
energy from one area to another.
South-facing windows provide natural daylight and
outdoor views.
The number and size of south-facing windows can be
adjusted to match the space you have for thermal mass.
Clerestory windows can let sunlight fall directly on the
back parts of floors or walls used as thermal mass.

Figure 3. Clerestory windows in a direct gain system let

sunlight strike the thermal mass on the back wall.

Figure 5. Louvered panels can provide shading if the

overhang is insufficient.

Disadvantages of the Direct Gain System:

It can overheat if the windows and thermal mass are not
Figure 4. The overhang lets in the winter sun while shading balanced.
southfacing glass in the summer.
Large amounts of south-facing glass can cause problems
with glare and privacy.
The amount of south-facing glass and thermal storage mass
should be balanced. If the windows collect more heat than The thermal mass used for heat storage should not be
the floor or walls can absorb, overheating occurs. Since the covered by carpet or blocked by furnishings.
direct gain system is part of the living space, this can be Furnishings and fabrics exposed to ultraviolet radiation
uncomfortable for those living in the house. from the sun can degrade or change color.
Shading is needed to reduce heat gain in the summer. South-facing windows need summer shading and a night-
Overhangs, awnings, trellises, louvers, solar screens, and time insulative covering in winter. Nighttime insulation can
movable insulation are some choices. Most designers be provided by exterior-mounted panels, interior draperies,
recommend exterior shading rather than interior shading shutters, pop-in panels, or other insulating window treat-
because exterior screens and other devices stop heat before it ments.
gets into the house.
With the direct gain system, the thermal storage mass may Window insulation is especially important for direct gain
be thinner and more widely distributed in the living space than systems. The thermal storage is usually not as thick as with
with other passive systems. This allows an even distribution of other systems, and heat will be lost quickly through uncovered
heat throughout the room or rooms, but requires some thought windows.
about how the living space will be used. Dont cover the
thermal storage mass with carpet or other materials that will
reduce its storage capacity. Select and arrange furnishings
carefully so they dont interfere with solar collection, storage,
and distribution.

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 INDIRECT GAIN The thickness and heat storage capacity of the thermal
mass lets it heat up slowly and distribute the heat to the
In this passive solar system, the storage mass is between living space when it is most needed. Extreme temperature
the south glass and the living space. variations in the living area are reduced.
Indirect gain systems use a thermal wall to store collected The floor and wall space of the living area can be used
heat. Usual choices are a masonry Trombe wall or a water wall more flexibly since the storage mass is moved next to the
of tubes or barrels placed several inches behind the window. south-facing glass. This frees up interior floor space and
The concrete block or brick Trombe wall is usually 8 to 12 also doesnt expose furnishings to direct sunlight.
inches thick. In comparison, direct gain mass is usually just 4
to 6 inches thick but is spread out over a larger area.
During the day, sunlight passes through the south-facing Disadvantages of an Indirect Gain System:
glass and is absorbed by the mass. The mass heats up slowly
and then releases heat to the living spaces 6 to 8 hours later. The south-facing view and natural daylight is lost. Some
Trombe walls have been designed with a window set into
The time lag as the mass warms and then gives off heat keeps
the wall to compensate for this. If properly designed, an
temperatures in the living space fairly uniform. It also means
that the heating of the living area occurs in the late afternoon inset window should not interfere with the efficiency of the
and evening, when it is most needed. system.
The Trombe wall can be vented or unvented. The vented Vented Trombe walls must be closed at night to prevent
wall allows heated air to circulate directly to the living space. reverse cycling of heated air. The inside of the south-facing
Stored heat in the thermal mass is also radiated later to the glass in a vented Trombe wall will also need to be cleaned
from time to time, so access to the glass needs to be
considered.
The Trombe wall may take up too much wall space in a
smaller home.
Furniture and objects placed against or on the Trombe wall
affect its efficiency in heating the living space.
Because the Trombe wall heats only the room it is con-
nected to, the cost of labor and materials in its construction
may be high relative to the contribution it makes to the
overall heating needs of the house.
In the summer or on winter days without sunshine, the
Trombe wall acts as a very poorly insulated wall. Exterior
Figure 6. Trombe wall vents circulate heated air to the moveable insulation would improve its effect on comfort
living space in the daytime. The vents are closed at night and energy use.
to prevent reverse cycling of heated air.

living space. A vented Trombe wall requires nighttime closing

ISOLATED GAIN
of wall vents. Otherwise, heated air would cycle back to the You may have heard of this system called an attached
front of the Trombe wall from the living space and be lost to sunspace or attached greenhouse. This system is usually
the cooler temperatures outside. Because of the difficulty in designed so that the collector and storage elements can be
assuring the proper opening and closing of vents, venting of closed off from the rest of the house during periods of extreme
Trombe walls has been used less frequently in recent years. heat or cold.
As with all passive solar designs, the Trombe wall should be Typically, the sunspace is a separate room on the south side
shaded on the outside during the summer and insulated at night of the house with a large glass area and thermal storage mass.
during the winter. Although research shows that a Trombe wall The sunspace can project out from the house, or the house can
gains more heat during the day than it loses during the night, wrap around the sunspace, partially enclosing it (Figure 8).
moveable insulation over the Trombe wall will improve its
efficiency. In most cases, this means installing insulated panels A U-shaped wrap-around design is used in the NCSU Solar
or shutters on the outside. Of course, these insulating panels are House. It reduces heat loss from the sunspace area and allows
effective only if used regularly. more storage mass to be located in the sunspace. Heat from the
sunspace can be distributed into the house through all three side
walls.
Advantages of an Indirect Gain System: If the sunspace is to serve as the primary heating system,
you will probably want a design that is thermally isolated from
The storage mass is located closer to the glass or collection the living area. This means that the sunspace can be closed off
area, which allows for efficient collection of solar energy.
from the rest of the house by shutting the doors and windows
that connect the two areas.

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 Advantages of the Sunspace, or Isolated Gain,
System:
It can be physically separated from the living space. This
means that temperature fluctuations within the sunspace do
not adversely affect the comfort of the living area.
Doors and windows between the sunspace and the rest of
the house allow control of the heat transfer between these
areas. The sunspace can be closed off when equipment is
used to heat or cool the rest of the house.
Due to their energy savings, attractiveness, and the appeal
of having a warm sunny room on a cold winter day,
Figure 7. An isolated gain system, or sunspace, can be closed
sunspaces increase the resale value of a home.
off from the rest of the house.

Disadvantages of the Sunspace, or Isolated Gain,

System:
Heavy furnishings and rugs must be avoided to prevent
shading of the thermal storage mass.
Shading and venting are important to avoid summertime
overheating.

ROOM LAYOUT
Passive solar homes take advantage of winter solar gain
by locating windows mainly on the south side of the house. A
logical design is to have the home laid out as a rectangle, with
the long axis running east-west, so that the long side of the
Figure 8. The NCSU Solar House has a sunspace enclosed house faces south.
on three sides. Windows and doors can let heat into or keep Rooms should be arranged inside the house to take ad-
heat out of the living spaces. vantage of the suns path and match solar gain to the time of the
day the room is used. For example, kitchens and dining rooms
The isolated gain design of the sunspace provides a buffer are natural choices for the east or southeastern portion of the
wall between the house and the sunspace. This reduces plan. The rooms benefit from early morning sun but are
temperature fluctuations inside the house. The buffer wall can protected by the rest of the house from the afternoon sun. The
serve as heat storage mass absorbing and giving off heat like a family room, living room, and bedrooms lend themselves to a
Trombe wall. The floor is also ideal for heat storage, provided south or southwestern location, where they will be warmed by
it isnt covered by an insulative material like carpet or by large the afternoon sun for evening use.
pieces of furniture. Where comfort is not as critical, rooms can be placed on
Because of the large glass area, the sunspace must be the west and north sides of the house. Areas which arent
protected from summer overheating. The NCSU Solar House consistently occupied, such as utility rooms, closets, hallways,
uses a combination of permanent roof overhangs and seasonal, stairs, and even the garage are good choices. They buffer the
drop-in louvers to shade its two-story sunspace. Awning living space from cold winter winds and the hot, late afternoon
windows at the base of the sunspace provide ventilation and sun in the summer.
help reduce summer heat gain.
With North Carolinas long, hot summers, many solar
designers recommend the use of only vertical glass in
sunspaces. Sloped glass can add to the potential for overheating
and may be more difficult to cover with movable insulation or
to shade. It may also leak.
When the sunspace is designed with sufficient mass, it can
provide thermal performance better than that of Trombe walls
and direct gain. It can also become one of the most popular
areas of the house.

Figure 9. The floor plan should be designed so that living

spaces are compatible with the suns path.
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 ACCESS TO THE SUN
In planning or buying any new house, especially a passive
solar house, proper orientation to the sun and access to its solar
energy are important. Placing the house on the northernmost part
of the lot will help with winter solar gain and reduce winter
shading from buildings and trees on lots to the south.
If it is not possible to locate the south-facing wall directly
south on the site, a passive solar system can still be effective.
0
The southern orientation of the house could vary by up to 30
from true south without significantly harming its heating season
performance, but because such a large variance could seriously
reduce the houses cooling performance, it is recommended that
the houses orientation should not vary by more than 15 0 either
to the east or west of true south.
Figure 10. Your house can be angled as much as 150 east or
west of true south and still be energy efficient.
ENERGY CONSERVATION
The passive solar home should be built with maximum
attention to energy conservation details, including insulation. SEE PASSIVE SOLAR AT WORK
Windows and doors should meet recommended air infiltration
standards. Infiltration or air leakage can also be reduced by The NCSU Solar House, which houses the North
careful caulking and weatherstripping. If the structure isnt Carolina Solar Center, was built in 1981 and has been moni-
energy-efficient to begin with, you will still have to add a good tored for many years. It's heating bills for the entire winter
deal of supplemental heat. average less than $70.You can obtain information about its
Windows on the north side should be few in number and performance or see it for yourself by visiting the Center. The
small in size, to reduce heat loss from this exposure. Eastern House is located on the N.C. State University campus in
and western windows generally dont add much to winter net Raleigh adjacent to the McKimmon Center for Continuing
heat gain, and will add to overheating problems in the summer. Education on the corner of Western Boulevard and Gorman
Winter night heat loss from all windows can be reduced by the Street. It is open free of charge to the public on weekdays from
use of movable insulation, either inside or outside the house. 9:00 - 5:00 and Sundays from 1:00 - 5:00, except on holiday
Any well-insulated and weatherized house needs good weekends.
ventilation to reduce problems from indoor air pollution and help
control humidity inside the house. Natural ventilation should be
used in attic, basement, or crawl space areas. Bath-rooms and
kitchens should have outside vented exhaust sys-tems. Sunspaces
can be vented with windows or by mechanical ventilation. A large
number of indoor plants inside the sunspace may increase its
humidity levels, so good ventilation is important.

Figure 11. North Carolina State University Solar House

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 REFERENCES NATIONAL AND STATE RESOURCES
The following publications provide further information on passive American Solar Energy Society
solar energy. This list is not exhaustive; inclusion does not imply 2400 Central Avenue, Unit G-1
endorsement by the North Carolina Solar Center, nor does omission of Boulder, CO 80301
similar materials imply criticism. (303) 443-3130 (303) 443-3212 (Fax)
E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.ases.org
North Carolina State University Solar House Research Reports. A list
of reports is available by contacting the N.C. Solar Center. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (EREC)
P.O. Box 3048
A Survey of Passive Solar Homes. AIA Research Corporation; Merrifield, VA 2216
available from Superintendent of Documents, Government (800) 523-2929 (703) 893-0400 (fax)
Printing Office. Toll-free: (800) DOE-EREC
E-mail: [email protected]
Designing and Building a Solar House: Your Place in the Sun. Donald Web: www.eren.doe.gov/consumerinfo
Watson, Charlotte, VT, Garden Way Publishing Co., 1977.
Florida Solar Energy Center
The First Passive Solar Home Awards. Franklin Research Center, Phila- University of Central Florida
delphia, PA (For the US Dept. of Housing and Urban Develop- 1679 Clearlake Rd.
ment), 1979. Cocoa, FL 32922-5703
(407) 638-1000 (407) 638-1010 (Fax)
The New Solar Home Book. B. Anderson with M. Riordan. Brick House E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.fsec.ucf.edu
Publishing Co., Andover, MA, 1987.
National Center for Appropriate Technology
Landscape Planning for Energy Conservation. Gary O. Robinette, P.O. Box 3838
Editor. Environmental Design Press, Reston, VA, 1977. 3040 Continental Drive
Butte, MT 59702-3838
The Passive Solar Construction Handbook. Steven Winter Associates, (406) 494-4572 (406) 494-2905 (Fax)
Rodale Press: Emmaus, PA, 1983. Toll-free: (800) 275-6228
E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.ncat.org
Passive Solar Energy: The Homeowners Guide to Natural Heating and
Cooling (2nd Ed.). B. Anderson and M. Wells. Brick House National Association of Home Builders-Research Foundation
Publishing Co., Andover, MA, 1993. 400 Prince George Boulevard
Upper Marlboro, MD 20774
The Passive Solar Design Handbook. Los Alamos Scientific Labora- (800) 638-8556 (301) 249-3035 (Fax)
tory; Total Environmental Action; US Department of Energy, E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.nahbrc.org
March, 1980.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
The Passive Solar Energy Book. Edward Mazria, Rodale Press, 1617 Cole Boulevard
Emmaus, PA, 1979. Golden, CO 80401
(303) 275-3000 (303) 275-4053 (fax) Web:www.nrel.gov
Regional Guidelines for Building Passive Solar Energy Conservation
Homes. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
Washington, DC, 1978. North Carolina Solar Energy Association
2501 Blue Ridge Road, Suite 150
Solar Control and Shading Devices; and Design with Climate. Aladar Raleigh, NC 27607
Olgvay, Victor Olgvay, Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, (919) 832-7601 (919) 863-4101 (Fax) E-mail:
1976. [email protected] Web: www..mindspring.com/~ncsea

The Solar Home-How to Design and Build a House you Heat with the
Sun. Mark Freeman, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, Sustainable Building Industries Council
1994. (Available from NC Solar Center.) 1331 H Street, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, D.C. 20005
Solar Homes for North Carolina, vol. 1, Energy Division, NC (202) 628-7400 (202) 393-5043 (Fax)
Department of Commerce, Raleigh, NC 1984. (Available from Email: [email protected] Web: www.sbicouncil.org
NC Solar Center.)
Southface Energy Institute
Solar Homes for North Carolina, vol. 2, Energy Division, NC 241 Pine Street
Department of Commerce, Raleigh NC 1999. (Available from Atlanta, GA 30308
NC Solar Center.) (404) 872-3549 (404) 872-5009 (Fax)
Sunbook, 2nd. ed., Energy Division, NC Department of Commerce, Email: [email protected] Web: www.southface.org
Raleigh, NC 1999. (Available from the NC Solar Center.)