
3 SOLAR COLLECTOR TECHNOLOGIES AND SYSTEMS
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temperature at its normal level. Strictly speaking, we have
no need for any external sources of heat; the principal
physiological requirement for thermal comfort is to
discharge the excess heat. In order to do this, however, we
require surroundings that will allow us to keep cooling
without stress: the body's cooling processes are suppressed
under very hot or humid conditions and exaggerated when
they are too cool, dry or draughty. Between such extremes
is a range of conditions perceived as comfortable or
unstressful. Creating such conditions in buildings is a
fundamental design objective. [1]
2.2 Heat Gain
At any given time Passive and internal heat gains may be
met by one or more of three main sources:
- solar radiation admitted indoors (through windows or
other glazed elements) and retained within the building
fabric in the form of heat, through processes commonly
known as passive solar heating.
- the heat generated by occupant activity and the operation
of household appliances, collectively known as internal,
casual or Incidental heat gains.
- the output from purpose-made heating appliances,
commonly referred to as auxiliary backup or conventional
heating.[1]
2.3 Processes of Passive Solar Heating
Solar radiation is transmitted indoors through windows or
other glazed elements and converted into heat by
absorption on opaque room surfaces. It is then stored,
released and distributed within a building through
processes generally known as passive solar heating. The
benefit to occupants can be assessed on two criteria: the
amount of conventional heating fuel that is displaced by
passive solar heating, and the effect this has on indoor
environmental conditions and amenity. Internal neat gains
from occupancy and household appliances can be assessed
in the same way.
In an ideally controlled space, amounts below the heat
demand would be instantly balanced by inputs from other
heat sources, while those above might be stored for later
use, transferred to any adjacent spaces requiring heat, or
rejected. Such controls would maximise the use of solar
gains by displacing (and thus saving) conventional heating
fuel, while preventing undesirably high temperatures. At
the other extreme, in a space with no temperature controls
the heating appliances would be unaffected by the presence
of any solar or internal heat gains and operate as if they
were not present. In such circumstances there would be no
energy savings. In addition, at times of high incidence of
solar or internal gains, the space temperature would rise
above that maintained by the heating appliances, possibly
to undesirable levels.
2.4 Designing with Climate
It is important as well to understand and evaluate the
architectural traditions in the various climatic regions,
which normally are influenced by culture, society needs
and habits. There are as well several ancient examples
which show the principles of passive solar design in their
architectural expression.
In the northern climatic regions the solar energy has been
used to heat buildings and to store it’s energy in the masses
of the building in order to release the heat in the night
times.
In southern climates instead, the protection and natural
ventilation has been one of the most important design
criteria. The linear building facing the sun can be found for
example in southern Italy and Scandinavian alike, in the
one place detailed to exclude summer sun, and in the other,
designed to admit the sun in winter.
“In each case, the complexity of approaches and means, the
manipulation of the site, the use of materials, the
interaction with cultural patterns of use and occupancy,
allows a similar form to operate in different climatic zones
and under dramatically different conditions.” [2]
The techniques required to heat and cool a building
passively have been used for thousands of years. Early
societies such as the Native American Anasazis and the
ancient Greeks perfected designs that effectively exploited
these natural processes. The Greeks considered anyone
who didn't use passive solar to heat a home to be a
barbarian! [3]