SIMPLE PASSIVE SOLAR

This is a covered "patio" work area right outside my book studio. When I bought this property there was a dark redwood board enclosure all around the South & West side, shown here, making it very dark. I removed the wood, and wonderful sunlight flowed in.

The sun strikes the poured cement slab that was present, and slowly warms it during our (seldom in winter) sunny days here.

I rescued these 100+ year old redwood framed cottage windows from a remodel job, and framed them in to gain more passive solar. [The funny thing I did this during the hottest day in July 2004, and felt like a roasting chicken from the immediate heat gain . Like being in a large solar oven! But at least I knew it worked.

There are skylights in the roof cover, and it brings in too much sun/heat during our summer months. These can be covered with polycarbonate greenhouse sheets, and makes for a more comfortable area.

Below the windows is a temporary wood slat wall. This will be replaced with water drums, and more glazing to make a mini passive solar trombe wall.

If I was motivated I could figure how to get this drum water to be my laundry and washing water too. Maybe next year. The ground in front of the area is a sloped "yard" but mostly a weed pit where the dogs play.

Here are some articles and links on building trombe walls, and simple solar heated water information.

Retrofitting a South facing wall on your home, garage or workshop can help lower heating bills in winter, and may add more living space, preheat water for you system, or even act as a "plant nursery" area to your home.

A bigger project like the one above is planned for the entire South side of my small cottage.

Enjoy.

A FREE European/world solar information magazine/ resource center. http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/home

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www.builditsolar.com Has posted a link to a free book.

http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/WaterHeating/ISPWH/ispwh.htm

Thanks to David A. Bainbridge for providing this web link information to Build It Solar. The Integral Passive Solar Water Heater Book

This book covers the design and construction of simple passive solar water heaters. The book was published in 1981, and is now out of print and difficult to obtain.

David Bainbridge, the author, has agreed to make the book available here as a free download. Thank you David!!

For more of David's work on passive solar applications see: www.sustainableenergy.org/resources/technologies/solar_passive.htm

http://arizonaenergy.org/NewsJuly04pioneer_for_straw_bale_housing_w.htm

Above links Courtesy Greg Reysa of www.builditsolar.com

A link to Greg's solar assisted garage:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/SolarGarageCollector/ShopSolar.pdf

The TMEN article- http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/solar_barn_project.htm

http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/SolarBarn.pdf

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CHECK OUT this building page for books on solar planning and building.