OP4 Title
Pre-capstone BSc - Integrative Ecosocial Design
December 2013
Summary
This output pack covers the designing and building of a passive solar panel also known as a trombe wall, I will be calling it a PSP for short. Being in an energy-descent culture means we must reduce our energy footprint and build redundant and resilient renewable-energy systems. This appropriate technology is just that, it can be applied to any building with a south facing wall for both heating and cooling purposes. It can be designed into the plans of a new building or retrofitted to an old one. Being a passive system (not using any electrical or mechanic devices) means it is very resilient and will perform with little to no maintenance for a very long time.
This technology has been around since the late 1800’s I have yet to find any contemporary plans of a DIY retrofit PSPs fulfilling both tasks of heating and cooling. My design for this PSP is a conglomeration of Edward S. Morse's patented air heater from the 1880's and other more contemporary PSPs.
My Project Goals
- Build and install a Passive Solar Panel
- Stack the functions of the PSP to passively heat and cool
- Learn site analysis for Passive Solar
- Improve my carpentry skills
- Improve a place I lived in
This report is intended to inspire and empower others to explore and apply simple passive solar solutions to their own buildings. Following is a tour of my process and methods of designing and building a PSP, and my un/learnings and interventions along the way. I hope you enjoy!
To learn about who I am click my name (upper left corner) and visit my profile page.