Solar Home: environmentally sustainable design
 |
|
The Wadestown Solar Home |
| This
experimental home demonstrates active solar design techniques
with the aim of self sufficiency in heating and cooling
for all but the most extreme Wellington weather.
The active solar design employs solar absorbing tiled suspended
slabs with fan forced air below carrying convected heat
to a basement rock bin. |
Environmentally sustainable design (ESD)
features
The house includes the following technologies:
- Active solar collecting slabs using subslab convection
in sunroom and gallery.
- Thermal storage "rock bin" comprising 20 tonnes of
recycled concrete kerb stones.
- Programmable internal climate control system comprising
ambient air and sub slab thermostats, window and louvre
actuators, anemometer and humidity sensors, and fan convection.
- High ceiling warm air recovery ducted to rock bin.
- Interior solar water heating balustrade (8m²)
as functional and decorative architectural element serving
as preheat (and anticipated substitute) for natural gas
hot water source.
- Dual north and west orientation of this one room deep
plan to maximise solar penetration.
- Subtropical plant arboretum heated on winter nights
from rock bin.
|
Functional diagram
Warm air trapped in the living areas is channelled
to a basement area where it heats 20 tonnes of black-painted
concrete blocks, which hold the equivalent of 200
nightstore heaters.
It traps enough heat to last about a week of sunless
days in winter. The process can be reversed in the
summertime to keep the house cool.
"Lots of people have very efficient solar-heating
systems but they are add-ons. My thesis is that solar
technology is fundamental to healthy living and must
be integrated into the architecture" says Richard
Wright.
|
|
 |
| Section of sub-floor rockbin
acting as heat storage |
| To view more, visit Solarhomes
website |
| Back to top |
| |
|
