Passive Solar Heating

David Konopka

What is passive solar heating?

• Strategic home design for heat regulation

• Not mechanical or electric• Placement• Insulation/materials• Channeling solar energy with

mirrors and lenses• Widely applicable• Reduces pollution and energy

costs• Energy produced near consumer• Useful in developing nations

History• Essential before electric

heating• Ancient Greece and

China• Ancient Greek ‘sauna’

Modern• Solar cooker• Solar furnace• Greenhouse

Home Design

• Insulation- thermal mass• Windows and glaze• Sunroom/Solarium• Vents/convection/Solar

Chimney• Heat-reflective ‘Cool Roof’• Shade (ex. trees)• Home orientation• Location-based• Only effective if

professionally done

Solar Cooker

• Focuses sunlight into a small area OR

• Absorbs sunlight to heat up

• Cooks food• Boils (sterilizes) water• Improved health• Reduces pollution and

deforestation• Free operation when

sunny

Solar Forge

• Reflects/concentrates heat

• Good for small processes in sunny areas

• First ‘modern’ solar forge in France 1949 (sunny 300 days a year)

• May require input of energy to align mirrors

Advantages and Disadvantages

Pros• Saves money (usually free

once implemented)• No fuel input• Reduces deforestation and

CO2 emissions• Compliments other heat

sources• Improves health• Good for heating and cooling• Useful in developing nations

Cons• Reliant on weather• No electric output• Often slower than

conventional methods (solar forge)

• Usually not sufficient to heat a home

• Inefficient unless professionally done

• Not useful for transportation

Works Citedhttp://woodwaredesigns.com/energy/solarforge.htmlhttp://financial-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/passive+solar+heatinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_solar_heatinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_insulationhttp://www.passivesolarenergy.info/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_masshttp://passivesolar.sustainablesources.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_furnacehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cookerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase_Change_Materialhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_hot_waterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_gainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_passive_solar_building_designhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunroomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_chimneyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_househttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool_roof