Passive Solar Roof Angle

Solar energy is let into the building through its sun facing windows south windows in canada.

Passive solar roof angle.

Passive solar design takes advantage of this by designing a home s roof pitch and overhang to allow solar heat gain during the winter months and block it during the summer. 24 dec 2012 02 45 pm. Jonr senior member posts 5341. Borst passive solar roof overhang design calculator.

Borst engineering construction llc competence integrity and professionalism are integral to all that we do. To put this another way you can tilt a roof angle about 45 degrees away from the optimal angle the perpendicular angle to the sun without significantly affecting light transmission. Passive solar eaves calculator this calculator will help you work out the required eave depth for ideal passive solar benefit for a north facing southern hemisphere or south facing northern hemisphere window. Design solar altitude angle for full shade deg from passive solar altitude angle calculator design solar altitude angle for full sun deg from passive solar altitude angle calculator build height of roof overhang from top of glass feet or leave blank.

If the building is slightly off the loss is negligible. Significant here means less than an 8 change. When sunlight strikes a building the building materials can reflect transmit or absorb the solar radiation. In addition the heat produced by the sun causes air movement that can be predictable in designed spaces.

Passive solar design refers to the use of the sun s energy for the heating and cooling of living spaces by exposure to the sun. Across all materials this threshold is around 45 50 degrees away from perpendicular. Passive solar technologies use sunlight without active mechanical systems as contrasted to active solar such technologies convert sunlight into usable heat in water air and thermal mass cause air movement for ventilating or future use with little use of other energy sources a common example is a solarium on the equator side of a building. North facing slopes are poor sites for passive solar unless the slope is very gentle.

In the northern hemisphere the sun s angle is high during the summer months and low on the horizon during the winter months. The building itself will be oriented perpendicular to the sun at midday so as to maximize the exposure to the sun. With a basis in solar geometry effective passive solar heating shading and daylighting are possible and likely. Passive solar design begins with the simple idea that you can build a house that uses natural heating cooling ventilation and daylighting these homes require much less fossil fuel energy to heat.

You can use the free software sketchup to draw the house and it will draw sun shadows for any date time at your location.