DIY Heating Storing Solar Heat
DIY Heating Storing Solar Heat
Minimize Your Summer Exposure, Maximize Your Winter Exposure
House plans typically are unconcerned as to the home’s relationship to a specific environment,(i.e. its site and the rotating seasonal position of the sun). House plans simply indicated “front, back, left, right”, not “north, east, south, west”. Home designers and architects rarely concern themselves with energy efficiency.
. With the exception of installing energy efficient heating and cooling systems, the majority of the construction industry still gives little, if any, thought to the homes passive solar ability. The construction industry, and society as a whole, managed to “forget” certain fundamental ways of building in harmony with the sun, landscape, and changing seasons – in ways that have formed the basis for many architectural traditions for thousands of years. There has never been a more practical and economical time for home builders and developers to use the ancient art of passive solar design.
DIY Heating Storing Solar Heat
Storing Solar Heat:
Heavyweight materials, such as concrete, terracotta or ceramic tiles and brick, can absorb solar heat during the day if they are exposed to direct sunlight. At night when the interior temperature drops, the stored heat is released back into the room. They act like a rechargeable battery for storing heat.
Thermal Mass & DIY Heating Storing Solar Heat:
Thermal mass is most effective if it is located within the insulated south-facing area of the home. Thermal mass can be incorporated into any surface of the home but it is twice as effective if it receives direct sun rather than diffused rays. Exposing thermal mass products to heated air but not direct sunlight has little value in storing solar heat and should be minimized. Thermal mass that is located on an exterior surface should be insulated to prevent heat escaping directly to the outdoors.
DIY Heating Storing Solar Heat Ideas
Given that many modern homes have a concrete floor slab (ideally fully insulated), it is very economical to design a house so that the concrete slab is exposed to direct solar heat within the northern areas. Heavy mass materials, such as terracotta tiles, can be used to finish the slab without inhibiting the heat transfer process. Carpeting or covering the thermal mass with other non-dense materials will reduce the effectiveness of heat collection. Textile floor coverings should be restricted to parts of the house which are not being used for solar heat storage.
DIY Heating Storing Solar Heat Methods:
Thermal mass can be walls as well as floors. If a thermal mass wall is an outside wall it should be insulated on the outside to stop the heat escaping. The trick with this type of wall is to find ways for the sun to heat the wall inside the heat trap created by the insulation.
http://www.energyefficientsolutions.com/ - Your online source for Radiant Barrier
DIY Heating Storing Solar Energy:
The balance between window area placement and thermal mass is fundamental to effective passive solar design. Too much mass will make the house difficult to warm up while insufficient mass or solar admittance will reduce comfort and energy savings.
DIY Heating Storing Solar Energy & Heat Conservation:
Conserving Passive Solar Heat:
Increased insulation diminishes the escape of interior heat in winter and heat gain in summer. It provides increased thermal comfort for occupants close to an external wall, as they are not radiating their body heat to a cold surface, hence they will feel warm at cooler air temperatures. Increasing the level of insulation is a good investment as it will also prevent the formation of condensation and the degradation of buildings materials. Current building codes specify only a minimum level of insulation that may be less than the optimum for heat conservation. Installing insulation above the building code requirements is beneficial, especially in colder climates.
DIY Heating Storing Solar Heat
A lot of heat can leak out through even small gaps in insulation, so care needs to be taken to properly insulate all parts of the homes envelope. Squashing insulation around structural components or building services or leaving gaps can seriously compromise the whole insulation scheme. Most insulation loses its effectiveness if it gets wet and complete replacement should be considered. In addition it is important in an energy efficient home that unwanted air leakage is minimized through draft-stopping and floor insulation.
DIY Heating Storing Solar Heat-Seal Leaks & Insulation:
Windows should also be insulated. The heat loss through uninsulated glazing can be ten times as much as through a wall with average insulation. Double glazed windows will reduce heat loss through windows in winter by nearly 50% and reduce the heat gain in summer by 10%. They have additional advantages of eliminating condensation and noise intrusion. They can be relatively costly, however they can be only a small additional cost in a new home. Heavy curtains, which are fitted with a pelmet and overlap the surrounding wall by 10cm, are an alternative method of insulating windows. In addition, the energy efficiency of the whole window can be enhanced by using modern, well designed window frames that minimize heat loss.
For more information on DIY Heating Passive Solar and DIY Heating Storing Solar Heat
Also see: www.solar-and-windpower-info.com/diyheatingsiteorientation.html for more information on DIY Heating.