Zero-Energy Housing
Students investigate passive solar building design with a focus solely on heating. They learn how insulation, window placement, thermal mass, surface colors, and site orientation play important roles in passive solar heating. They use this information to design and build their own model houses, and test them for thermal gains and losses during a simulated day and night. Teams compare designs and make suggestions for improvements.
How can we design our houses to passively use the "free" energy from the sun for heating?
Passive solar heating techniques gain more attention when conventional energy costs and global climate change concerns increase. Engineers are at the center of designing solutions to address these issues and they place a lot of attention on passive solar heating as a means of reducing our dependence on non-renewable energy sources. Passive solar design is best incorporated into new buildings and structures; it is more challenging to add to existing buildings.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Model a few techniques used in passive solar heating.
- Explain the importance of passive solar heating.
- Identify the role an engineer plays in passive solar design.