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The Solar House: Passive Heating and Cooling by Daniel D. Chiras, 2002. Passive solar heating and passive cooling -- approaches known as natural conditioning -- provide comfort throughout the year by reducing, or eliminating, the need for fossil fuel. Yet while heat from sunlight and ventilation from breezes is free for the taking, few modern architects or builders really understand the principles involved. Now Dan Chiras, author of the popular book The Natural House, brings those principles up to date for a new generation of solar enthusiasts.
Now that energy efficiency measures including higher levels of insulation and multi-layered glazing have become standard, it is easier than ever before to create a comfortable and affordable passive solar house that will provide year-round comfort in any climate. Moreover, since modern building materials and airtight construction methods sometimes result in air-quality and even toxicity problems, Chiras explains state-of-the-art ventilation and filtering techniques that complement the ancient solar strategies of thermal mass and daylighting. Chiras also explains the new diagnostic aids available in printed worksheet or software formats, allowing readers to generate their own design schemes.
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The Passive Solar Primer: Sustainable Architecture by David Wright, 2008.
Architect David Wright helped pioneer the concept of passive solar architecture, and his thoughts and experiments have helped shape the evolution of solar design throughout the world. His years of exploration are distilled in this comprehensive book, which provides simple graphics and language to illuminate concepts including greenhouse effect, heat storage, surface-to-volume ratio, ventilation, and cooling.. Tips, rules-of-thumb, regional characteristics, and many other considerations are presented to help readers, from initial site selection to visionary design. Written for architects, designers, and others who seek to tap the free resources offered by earth and sun, this invaluable tool will help reduce dependence on outside energy sources. You will be inspired.
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Solar House : A Guide for the Solar Designer by Terry Galloway, 2004. Covering the full life span of the project, from siting issues through specific design features to maintenance of the property and equipment, this is a comprehensive guide to designing, planning and building a solar house. The author uses his experience of living in a solar house to inform the reader of the technology and practices needed for the design, operation and maintenance of the solar home. Each of the technologies of the house, such as space heating and cooling, domestic hot water and electric power technologies, are critiqued from the point of view of the owner/resident, with the author using his thirty years experience of living in a solar home. This provides home owners who are thinking of going solar with first hand evidence of best practice, and provides the architect and designer with the knowledge of how to best satisfy their clients needs.
 THE LANGUAGE OF SOLAR ENERGY: Heat Loss & Solar Gain for Buildings by Paul Shippee, 2000. All the basic concepts and methods clearly illustrated for designing a solar heated residence. Exercises and illustrations included to help you understand and get a working knowledge so you can design your own solar heated building. Learn how to think simply about seemingly complicated topics like heat transfer, load calculation methods, thermal storage, sun angles, solar radiation, climate, etc. Written for owner-builders and professionals alike.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
The Language of Energy -Definitions -Units -Quality of Energy -Temperature and Heat -Efficiency -Net Energy -Conversion of Energy Units
Heat Transfer Fundamentals -Conduction -Convection -Radiation
Heating Load Application -Heat Loss Calculation -Dynamics of Insulation
Solar Radiation I -Sun Angles -Insolation Values
Solar Radiation II -Climate Data -Availability of Solar Energy
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The New Independent Home: People and Houses That Harvest the Sun by Michael Potts, 1999. The author says "My book helps folks take control of their energy destiny. Independent homesteaders offer us all lessons on using our energy better. On-the-gridders waste half the energy they buy, while we who carefully harvest every electron, teaspoon of water, and therm of heat, strive to waste as little as possible. This work reconnects us with the planet in unexpected ways. There are important lessons in my book about phantom loads, free energy sources, and small habit changes that have helped many "on-the-gridders" reduce their energy bills by 30% - 60%."
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Passive Solar House Basics by Peter van Dresser, 1996. Anyone who has visited a solar adobe home on a cold winter day has felt the warmth and comfort of its natural radiant heat. This book lays out in plain language what an owner-builder and designer will need to know about siting, designing, constructing, and living in a solar adobe home. Van Dresser's text and pictures provide a beginner's course in adobe construction and passive solar heat collection, including suggestions for natural heat circulation and heat storage in thermal mass. The simple means he has developed for economically harnessing the energy of the sun in an energy-efficient home are easily within the grasp of the average home owner, home builder, or solar enthusiast.
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Passive Solar House: The Complete Guide to Heating and Cooling Your Home by James Kachadorian, 2006. For the past ten years The Passive Solar House has offered proven techniques for building homes that heat and cool themselves, using readily available materials and methods familiar to all building contractors and many do-it-yourself homeowners. True to this innovative, straightforward approach, the new edition of this best-selling guide includes CSOL passive solar design software, making it easier than ever to heat your home with the power of the sun. Since The Passive Solar House was first published, passive solar construction expert James Kachadorian has perfected user-friendly, PC-compatible software to supplement the design process explained in the book by allowing homeowners/designers to enter the specifications of their design and see how changing a variable will affect its energy efficiency. This is the building book for a world of climbing energy costs. Applicable to diverse regions, climates, budgets, and styles of architecture, Kachadorian's techniques translate the essentials of timeless solar design into practical wisdom for today's solar builders. Profiles of successful passive solar design, construction, and retrofit projects from readers of the first edition provide inspiration to first-time homebuilders and renovators alike. |
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Sun-inspired House: Ideas And House Plans Using the Sun to Brighten And Warm Your Home by Debra Rucker Coleman, 2005. This bok provides a unique combination of passive solar information and house plans designed to use the sun to maximum efficiency. The information is educational while the designs are inspirational. The elegant yet functional homes capture the non-polluting heat and wonderful light of the sun in a wide range of warm and welcoming styles. Blueprints are available for most of the designs. Debra Rucker Coleman, Architect and President of Sun Plans, Inc. has designed passive solar homes since 1985. Some of her work has been featured in Fine Homebuilding, Solar Today, and Home Energy. Coleman has lived in hot, moderate, and cold climates, but currently resides in Alabama, in a sun-tempered home for which she was both the architect and general contractor.
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Going Solar: Understanding And Using The Warmth In Sunlight by Tomm Stanley, 2005. By distilling thousands of years of history and knowledge into one book, Tomm Stanley brings together the work of pioneering solar designers, some of the greatest scientists that the world has known and a range of modern, practical applications for hands-on people to create a delicious brew of thought provoking, solar thermal discussion. Enthusiastically coaxing readers through the essential concepts at work in fields of study as diverse as history, geography, nuclear physics, thermodynamics and astronomy, Going Solar reveals the "how's" and "why's" behind the solar heating phenomenon. When the subject matter turns to a study of devices that use solar heat, readers have a firm grasp of the natural forces at work and an appreciation of how the technology might be applied in their own lives. |
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Hot Dirt, Cool Straw by Nora Richter Greer, Dennis Wedlick, James Grayson Trulove, 2001. Ecologically designed homes have come a long way since the '60s, when the focus was largely on energy efficiency. Hot Dirt Cool Straw features 25 case studies of beautiful homes designed by leading architects who marry good design with minimal environmental impact. Many of these unique, fabulous houses have walls built with straw or earth, materials which are sturdy and allow the homes to cool and heat themselves naturally. This remarkable reference also features eco-friendly homes made of wood that has been salvaged from previous uses or comes from environmentally sensitive lumberyards. Each case study includes dazzling photography, as well as carefully detailed plans, drawings, and schematics.
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Heating, Cooling, Lighting : Design Methods for Architects by Norbert Lechner, 2000. Qualitative graphic approach to understanding the techniques of heating, cooling, and lighting reflects the decision-making approach of architects and students. Useful appendices provide sun path diagrams and solar site evaluation tools, as well as practical checklists of strategies and issues in evaluating energy use in the building design stage, and an annotated list of helpful sustainability videos to use in class, professional meetings, or with clients. A chapter on photovoltaics discusses their use as an ideal energy source, offers design options, and case studies as well as their future role in building design. A chapter on sustainable "green" design includes case studies and examples of water conservation measures, effects from energy production and consumption, and an analysis of indoor air quality. Mathematical formulas are excerpted from the text and appear in side boxes, so they don't cloud the text with overly-technical information.
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A Survey of Passive Solar Buildings by Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, U. S. Department of Energy, AIA Research Corporation, 2005. This publication of passive solar projects built in the United States has been prepared to document the state of the art in passive solar design. Passive solar heating and cooling can provide a major percentage of the buildings' energy requirement, while at the same time representing a heightened level of involvement for the architect in the design stages of the building. The full potential of this passive conditioning depends on a sensitive awareness of the relationship between climate, comfort, and the thermal characteristics of buildings and building materials. Passive solar systems are often misunderstood and vaguely defined. Many of the approaches to passive solar heating and cooling are at rudimentary stages, with little performance data and evaluation, few modeling techniques, and minimal published information. Yet for the building designer and the occupant, these concepts have major implications in the design and use of buildings. The purpose of this publication is to offer a working definition and a basic understanding of a number of existing applications of passive solar designs. Methods of passive solar design are not presented in this publication; nor are rules of thumb or passive solar assemblies and components. A reference bibliography has been included to assist the reader who desires more information and to stimulate additional individual research and testing.
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Retrofitting for Energy Conservation by William H. Clark, 1997. Here is an expert guide that offers you practical solutions to remodeling and retrofitting for energy-conservation needs and code requirements. The book covers all 4 major areas of retrofit: electrical, HVAC, architectural, and control...plus techniques necessary for completing any job on time and within budget, as well as the newest and most-requested energy-efficient materials. Included are proven methods for retrofitting glass...walls, roofs, and floors...humidity control devices...lighting fixtures...motors ..attic insulation...air handlers...sensors...and much more! The author has a website (archi-tech-software.com) where the software associated with this book can be downloaded for free.
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The Simply Solar House: Green Building on a Budget by Richard and Yoko Crume, 2007. This desribes a practical approach to designing a highly energy efficient house using common construction materials and practices. Drawing upon their experience building a solar house in central North Carolina, the authors describe the key features of energy efficient home design in simple and easy to understand language.
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Solar Water Heating: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Water And Space Heating Systems by Bob Ramlow, Benjamin Nusz, 2006. This book reviews the history of solar water & space heating systems from prehistory to the present, then presents the basics of solar water heating, including an introduction to modern solar energy systems, energy conservation and energy economics. Drawing on the author's experience as an installer of these systems, the book goes on to cover: Types of solar collectors, solar water and space heating systems and solar pool heating systems, including their advantages and disadvantages; System components, their installation, operation, and maintenance; System sizing and siting; Choosing the appropriate system. The book focuses especially on the financial aspects of solar water or space heating systems, clearly showing that such systems can save significant costs in the long run.
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Heating or Cooling Your Building Naturally: Solar Architectural Solutions by Virginia B. Macdonald, 2006.
Through an initial explanation of her principles and ten case studies, the author relates how vertical ventilation and controlled daylighting--to the exclusion of air-conditioning and daytime electric lighting--can be applied. The author explains in simple language, with photos and diagrams, how to use the sun to cool or warm a building as needed, while at the same time reducing mildew, dust, and many pathogens. The premise is simple and has been used throughout the ages in all cultures and climates: hot air rises. That's the starting point for all the ideas and designs contained in this book, taking advantage of the natural vertical flow of air to regulate the temperature of enclosed spaces. Likewise, the documented health benefits of controlled daylighting are well-known, and the projects here described make ample use of skylights (with spectrally-selective glazing) in addition to windows, so that electric lighting is seldom needed during the day.
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Stay Cool: A Design Guide for the Built Environment in Hot Climates by Holger Koch-Nielsen, 2002. In hot dry or warm humid countries, more than half of the urban peak load of energy consumption is used to satisfy air-conditioning demands alone. Since the urbanization rate in developing countries is extreme, the pressure placed on energy resources to satisfy the future requirements of the built environment will be great, unless new, more cost-effective measures can be introduced. Stay Cool is an essential guide for planning and design using active design principles and passive means to satisfy human comfort requirements specifically in these climate zones, based on examples of traditional and modern constructions. The book demonstrates how a design strategy for urban environments and individual buildings, incorporating naturally occurring resources and specific energy-efficient technologies, can create a location, form and structure that promotes significant energy savings. Such strategies can equally be applied to low cost housing, or indeed to any other buildings, in order to improve comfort with passive means and low energy budgets.
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The Passive Solar Energy Book: A Complete Guide to Passive Solar Home, Greenhouse and Building Design by Edward Mazria, 1979. Even though this book would seem to be dated by its publication date, I still consider it to be one of the best all-round guides to passive solar design, whether for home or greenhouse or both. I often refer to my tattered copy of this book when I want to know what the experts think.
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PLANS
Chez Soleil Paul Breaux, Designer
 
This is a 3 bedroom, 2 story, 3000 sf house, with attached garage. The design goals were to build a resource efficient, off-the-grid solar home, with no connected public utilities other than a phone line, and to use the home to generate performance data that would document how well the home's design and materials performed to keep the house cool in summer and warm in winter. According to Paul Breaux, a physicist, Chez Soleil performs much better than he expected. The home's temperature is comfortable year round, there is little home maintenance and operating expense, and the many people who tour the home can see and feel the benefits of "green" construction.Very little artificial lighting is needed during the day; natural light is plentiful on both the first and second floors due to window placement and open floor design. Chez Soleil has been written up in several publications including Environmental Design & Construction, the Austin American-Statesman, Southern Living, Mother Earth News, and Solar Today. Chez Soleil was selected by the American Solar Energy Society for the society's solar home tours, and was featured at the 23rd National Passive Solar Conference.
The house was primarily designed for southern exposure to maximize passive solar gain and the efficiency of rooftop solar collectors for electricity. The dining room, living room, and kitchen are incorporated into one open space to give as much utility as possible, and help the home maintain a comfortable and even internal temperature year around. An “attached sunspace” on the east and part of the south sides of the house is an integral part of what makes the house work so well. It provides solar heating during winter, and 700 square feet of growing room. It is a “buffer zone” during warm weather, as large overhangs shade the direct sun out.
The lower part of the foundation is not insulated; it is coupled to the warmer subsoil, which stays at about 70 degrees all year. This system allows the home's thick thermal mass walls to dissipate heat during the summer, and absorb and retain heat when it is cool. The system helps maintain a relatively consistent indoor year around temperature without the need to use a nonrenewable energy source. The main concern was to balance heat gain during the winter with heat dissipation during the summer. Subsoil temperature fluctuations on this particular site were determined, and used to determine how deep the foundation's insulation should go on each side of the house.
Stored solar heat is released from the water containers as needed. Heat flows naturally by low temperature radiation and by warm air convection to the north side of the house, thus balancing comfort zones throughout the living space.
For more information about this plan, and many others, visit our sister site www.dreamgreenhomes.com, where you will find a wide range of plans for sustainable homes, greenhouses, small buildings, garages, and food storage space for sale. Dream Green Homes is a consortium of outstanding architects and designers, who have pooled their talent and expertise for your benefit. |
