A Complete Analysis of a Solar Home
A Hand's On Approach For the Novice
You may copy whatever you want from these web pages for personal use or for academic purposes. You may not copy information from this web site for monetary gain.
Under Construction.
The purpose is to analyze every aspect of a solar home from a building science and an energy point of view, using the math and the physics behind the component of the building. Each component is analyzed separately and the components will come together as a complete system. Just about every component has a spreadsheet with it. They give a good idea of what will happen so expectations can be set accordingly. They are very useful for a first pass design but they are one dimensional and not a finite element analysis. There are also recommendations for free software packages, spreadsheets and other tools for a more detailed view of the component. The final design and calculations will be done with EnergyPlus. The energy plus files will also be posted here. Lots of stuff for the “do-it-yourself” (DIY) types. Other features will be an energy crafted, comfortable, healthy house with superior indoor air quality and that doesn't mean bringing in highly polluted outdoor air.
On a hot, humid summer day, if it rains, it doesn't actually get cooler out until the sun comes out and starts to evaporate some of that moisture. Evaporation is a process of cooling.
Sunlight Click Here
Incase you can't find it anywhere else, Conduction, Convection and Radiation Heat Transfer Click Here
Windows, Gains and Losses Click Here
Walls, Whole Wall R Values, Insulation and Payback Click Here
Water as Thermal Mass Click Here
Thermal Mass Click Here
The Sunspace A very basic modelling tool using spreadsheets. Click Here
The Attic and Sol-aire Computations
The Basement or Slab and Energy Modelling
Heating Options. Forced Hot Air, Baseboard, Radiant
Fuel Choices and How To Compute Efficiency
Energy Crafted Home Principles
Comfortable House
The Complete House Design with Energy Performance Analysis
Overhangs
Overhang Design
Additional Window Treatments
The New Energy Performance Analysis
Choosing a Site
Solar Access Click Here
Open Burning and Solar Technology Click Here
Get a Burn History Click Here
Active Technologies
NASA Style Air Filters Click Here