Passive Solar Roof

Passive solar design refers to the use of the sun s energy for the heating and cooling of living spaces by exposure to the sun.

Passive solar roof.

A roof pond passive solar system sometimes called a solar roof uses water stored on the roof to temper hot and cold internal temperatures usually in desert environments. Let s start with passive solar roof design. In simple terms a passive solar home collects heat as the sun shines through south facing windows and retains it in materials that store heat known as thermal mass. The share of the home s heating load that the passive solar design can meet is called the passive solar fraction and depends on the area of glazing and the amount of thermal mass.

In addition the heat produced by the sun causes air movement that can be predictable in designed spaces. When sunlight strikes a building the building materials can reflect transmit or absorb the solar radiation. Passive solar homes can be any color just like normal homes but they lose a major advantage if they aren t painted to suit the climate. It typically is constructed of containers holding 6 to 12 in 150 to 300 mm of water on a flat roof.

Light colored homes reflect the sun s light reducing the amount of heat retained in the walls and therefore lowering summer cooling loads.