Passive solar system in architecture:
Bioclimatic architecture

 experience on the solar energy


The main idea of the bioclimatic architecture is to use the energy of the sun to heat a building.  It is useful for the individual welfare and for the economy, but also for the environment.  With this type of building, you reduce your need of energy, so you have less waste of it.  It have its roots in the past.  You can find a lot of house in the history of housing who used the passive solar energy.  They have a series of basic principales to keep the heat.  There is a list of some of it.


 
 
 
 

A solar collector

    This element is for the capture the sun's energy as much as possible.  This is the first objective of the bioclimatic architecture.  You can reach that by having a vertical wall made mainly of glass expose to the south and work as a solar collector.  Its by this wall that you will accumulate the passive energy during daytime.  So, it is really important to study the orientation and the angle of the sun along the year to know how orientate this wall.  Don't forget to protect the building from the sun during the summer time if you don't want to create a "sauna" inside.  After the capture of this energy, you have to stock this energy and redistribuate it later on.  To be able to do that, the building need a termal mass.

A termal mass

    It is by this element that you will be able to stock the energy.  Because the sun's energy come by the wall expose to the south, the floor and the opposite wall, which are the termal mass, usually receive this energy.  The termal mass is there to keep the inside temperature homogeneous and constant even if the outside temperature are variable.  To achieve that, you need a wall with an insulating materials in the outside part of it and another with a great termal capacity in the inside.  Like that, you are protect from the outside temperatures, but you are keeping the energy in the same time by your termal mass.

    Don't forget that you also have to protect your termal mass as much as possible of the cold winds coming usually by the north.  So, you have to orientate your space in a way to put more functionnal space on the north side and living at the south.  Like that, the space at the north will be "zone tampon" who protect the termall mass.  You can also protect it by doing a compact building and have a vegetation wall on the north.  Like that, the building will be more "efficace".  We will now see some example of passive solar system corresponding to this principals.
 
 

Contempory types of passive solar systems

                 A                   B                 C                   D                E
 

    As you can see, different type of system was create to respond at the objective establish earlier.  We will see some examples of system to give you an idea how you can respond to this objective of the bioclimatic.
 

A) Direct gain:The capture of the passive energy takes place through the doors and windows of the wall espose to the south.  A dense construction is required to increase the termall mass of the building and thus its ability to store heat.
 

B) Sun space: A glazing sunspace, built across the house full lenght, increases heat gain to be distribuate.  The external single glazing allows a better transmission of the warmed air in cold season.  You can make a habitable extension and provide a good natural lighting with this element.
 

C) Trombe wall: This system have a heat collector-accumulator in the form of a wall, painted in a dark colour and full height, with a ventilator at the top and bottom.  The ventilators allow the circulation of the warmed air inside the room.  This system is applicable to both upper and lower floors, and added, if necessary, to the sunspace.
 

D) Roof space collector: Some solar collectors with purpose to absorb solar rays and to gather hot water in the rest of the house through fire fans can be placed on the roof.  You can use the angle of th roof to install windows and let the sun in.
 

E) Convective loops:  This are naturally set up in the house for the warmed air of the sun exposed area tends to rise to the upper floors.  This process can be made faster with vents.  You have diiferent system to do it like the one shown in the picture.


Conclusion

    So, the bioclimatic architecture play mainly with this different element:
 
 


A) SE PROTEGER DES VENTS                    C) CAPTER LE SOLEIL:
      DOMINANTS:

- Batiments compact                                      - Baies vitrees au sud
- Creation d'espaces tampons                        - Exposition des pieces au sud
- Vegetation persistante au nord
B) EVITER LES SURCHAUFFE                      D) STOCKER ET RESTITUER
- Protection des baies par des volets               - Utilisation de materiaux
  et des stores                                                      lourds et inertes
- Vegetation a feuilles caduques au                  - Isolation des baies vitrees
   sud
- Isolation exterieure


References and links

  • energie : this site talk about the energy in building.
  • Comenius project : you have some explication about the bioclimatic architecture.
  • ajena : give you a vocabulary about the bioclimatic architecture.
  • journal : it is a journal about the development of a bioclimatic architecture and it's different steps.
  •  ERG : energy research group of the scholl of architecture of Dublin.
  •  MSA : example of project about bioclimatic architecture.
  •  maison : example of a house using passive energy.
  • At the library, you have a video call "bioclimatic skyscrapers" by Ken Yeang.  If you want to see it, it's location is at REDPATH AUDIO-VISUAL at NA1525.9 Y4 A35 Video.