I work in a three story commercial building in downtown Ipswich. It was built in the late 1800's so what it lacks in amenities it makes up in charm. My office is located on the North-East side of the building on the second floor. Our location makes it difficult for us to be able to control the solar heating of the building. We do not have any direct sunlight that enters our office. Using Sketchup, I was able to double check the fact that we don't have any direct gain. In order to put a winter heating plan in effect, we would need to work with the other owners of the building to put something together that could work for the entire building. We have plenty of space on the roof for solar collectors. The large windows on the south side allow plenty of heat gain in the winter but also allow too much in the summer. Boston is mostly overcast in the winter months so even the solar collectors would not be as useful as in some other parts of the world.
Using the climate consultant, it can be useful to look at the various weather patterns to see what the priorities should be.
I am going to continue this analysis and will have more posted on Wednesday, including notations on the models.
Using the climate consultant, it can be useful to look at the various weather patterns to see what the priorities should be.
I am going to continue this analysis and will have more posted on Wednesday, including notations on the models.
2 comments:
Nice analysis!
You experienced something very similar to mine. These strategies are much more affective when you look at the entire building.
It was a useful exercise for me because the sample area simplified the calculations so it was a fairly quick determination. I learned that there are so many more possibilities in both strategies and opportunities within the different building types.
Scott
HEATING
Good thought about sharing the sun; a whole building system design makes sense. You can use the roof as you suggest and take the overheating load of the south and distribute it to the other exposures (fans or refrigerant cycle).
Some solar collectors use evacuated tubes; these can work in colder temperature; but the overcast is a problem. Look at the charts for sky cover and temperature – perhaps the coldest days of Jan. and Feb. match a more open sky. December hopeless!
Model is great way to visualize – see if you can’t have that sunshine coming through the window.
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