passive solar

This paper describes the results coming out of the European Commission supported THERMIE Target Project Energy Comfort 2000. This was the first Target project, containing eight non-domestic buildings, started in July 1993 and to be completed at the end of 1998. The project aimed to design and construct buildings which use less than 50% of the energy of a traditional equivalent, by using passive methods, particularly to avoid the need for air-conditioning. High quality internal conditions were to be achieved.

Energy Comfort 2000 is a THERMIB supported Target project in which seven non-domestic buildings have been designed, built and are being monitored. An eighth building was designed but unfortunately has not finally been built. All are Passive and Low Energy buildings, designed to avoid or minimise the use of air-conditioning, by using the architectural design and construction of the building to produce adequate internal comfort conditions. Overall energy consumption is calculated to be less than 50% compared with traditional buildings and early monitoring has confirmed these predictions.

The use of air solar collector realised on the north facade of a new hospital building in Rome is hereby described. The integration of solar and structural element has been studied during the design phase; the development of air gaps integrated within enclosures is related to the possibility to activate both natural (ejecting indoor air outside) and forced (preheating outside air incoming to the air handling units) ventilation. The energy gained by the solar elements has been evaluated.

The paper presents a bioclimatic house in the Negev Desert, lsrael, as a case study through which it attempts to present a comprehensive and critical view of bioclimatic architecture, design support tools, and appropriate details vis-a-vis common construction technologies and practices, assessing their relative impact and limitations. A number of topics are examined from different aspects, such as insulation and thermal mass, window systems incorporating double glazing, insulated shutters and window screens, vis-a-vis solar gains.lr ventilation and infiltration.

This paper will describe a proposal to upgrade a thermally sub-standard multi-storey housing block (Type T84), where height and climatic exposure are significant, to demonstrate the effectiveness of passive, active and hybrid solar techniques to minimise space and water heating loads while enhancing the quality of air in both shared and private spaces.

The new buildings of Kaneyama Town Junior High School demonstrate that a well-planned and adequately designed passive solar system can work effectively even in a snowy and cold area. The OM solar system of an air heating type applied here, which is characterised by heat collection through roofs, and underfloor heating and heat storage, provides the pupils with a comfortable thermal environment in winter.