DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT
REASONS FOR THE SEASONS
AND
DESIGNING SOLAR HOMES
Hal Aronson 2008
GOALS FOR THIS PRESENTATION
• Reasons for the seasons curriculum which is
about observing seasonal changes in sun
angles, length of day, room temp.s in order to
understand seasons.
• Solar home design: Principles of Solar Home
Design; build a solar heated/cooled home;
add solar electricity to the solar home
• Link to Science, Math, and Social Science
Content Standards
Activities for Learning Seasons in
preparation for Solar Home Design
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Orientation: Note the compass movement of the sun
from morning to evening.
Experiment with focused light beam and graph paper
Build a Solar Angle Finder
Take regular measurements of the Solar angle at solar
noon from September to December and graph data.
Graph length of day from September to December.
Take energy readings using an ammeter and solar cell
Study your local climate: heating days, cooling days,
prevailing winds
Notebook moment
Activities for Designing Solar Homes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Investigate local climate (San Diego vs. Truckee)
Review Solar Design Principles
Learn how to measure and scale
Evaluate your classroom in terms of its energy performance, solar design
success or failure
Architectural block exercise
Sketch Designs
Build model homes
Write up of home in terms of form and function: can be done with
blocks
Present and critique homes (includes write up of form and function
Walk through neighborhood and evaluate homes in terms of solar
performance.
Notebook moment
Content Standards, Review 3rd Grade
• Earth Sciences
4. Objects in the sky move in regular and predictable patterns. As
a basis for under-standing this concept:
e. Students know the position of the Sun in the sky changes
during the course of the day and from season to season.
California Science Standards: Grade 6 anticipate
Heat (Thermal Energy) (Physical Science)
3. Heat moves in a predictable flow from warmer objects to cooler
objects until all the objects are at the same temperature. As a basis for
understanding this concept:
a. Students know energy can be carried from one place to another by
heat flow or by waves, including water, light and sound waves, or by
moving objects.
c. Students know heat flows in solids by conduction (which involves no
flow of matter) and in fluids by conduction and by convection
(which involves flow of matter).
d. Students know heat energy is also transferred between objects by
radiation (radiation can travel through space).
Science Standards: Grade 6 (cont.)
Energy in the Earth System
4. Many phenomena on Earth’s surface are affected by the
transfer of energy through radiation and convection
currents. As a basis for understanding this concept:
a. Students know the sun is the major source of energy for
phenomena on Earth’s surface; it powers winds, ocean
currents, and the water cycle.
b. Students know solar energy reaches Earth through
radiation, mostly in the form of visible light.
Science Standards: Grade 6 (cont.)
Resources
6. Sources of energy and materials differ in amounts, distribution,
usefulness, and the time required for their formation. As a basis for
understanding this concept:
a. Students know the utility of energy sources is determined by factors
that are involved in converting these sources to useful forms and the
consequences of the conversion process.
b. Students know different natural energy and material resources,
including air, soil, rocks, minerals, petroleum, fresh water, wildlife,
and forests, and know how to classify them as renewable or
nonrenewable.
Earth Science Standards: High School
Energy in the Earth System
4. Energy enters the Earth system primarily as solar radiation and
eventually escapes as heat. As a basis for understanding this concept:
a. Students know the relative amount of incoming solar energy compared
with Earth’s internal energy and the energy used by society.
b. Students know the fate of incoming solar radiation in terms of
reflection, absorption, and photosynthesis.
c. Students know the different atmospheric gases that absorb the Earth’s
thermal radiation and the mechanism and significance of the
greenhouse effect.
d.* Students know the differing greenhouse conditions on Earth, Mars,
and Venus; the origins of those conditions; and the climatic
consequences of each.
Demonstration: Orientation
1. Underwear man
2. Ascertain principles of solar home Design based
on Underwear man story
3. Hold up a model home and demonstrate how it
could or could not be a “solar home”
note: be clear what a solar home is
Demonstration #2: Angle and Energy
• With volunteer, demonstrate the effect of angle with a
focused beam flashlight or spotlight. Ideally focus it on a
piece of graph paper.
• Take it outside with a solar cell and a multimeter set on 10
amps. Experiment with Angle and amps produced. Record
your findings.
• Note: relationship between light intensity and amps
produced. Recall experiment with light funnel.
Notebook moment
Point
• The Demonstration of light beam dispersed and the
exploration of the quantity of electricity produced
affected by the angle of the solar cell provide the
reason we need to record sun angles.
Reasons for the Seasons
Why Cold in Winter; Hot in Summer
Step 1: Observations:
Gathered Systematically: Same time of Day on Weekly or
Daily Basis (Data tables in your packet)
1. Length of Day: September 22  December
22
2. Solar Angle: Sept. 22  Dec 22
3. Optional: Comparative Room Temperatures
Solar Shadow Instrument:
Shadow at December 3, 12:25 pm
Using Solar Shadow to Get Solar Angle
Third Side Of Triangle:
Shows Angle Of Sun
4 Inch
Post
Solar
Shadow
Content Standards: 5th Grade
• 2.0 Students identify, describe, and classify
the properties of, and the relationships
between, plane and solid geometric figures:
• Measure, identify, and draw angles,
perpendicular and parallel lines, rectangles,
and triangles by using appropriate tools (e.g.,
straightedge, ruler, compass, protractor,
drawing software).
Step 2: Graph Observations
1. Solar Angle
2. Length of Day
3. Optional: Room Temperatures
Content Standards: Math 4th Grade
• 2.0 Students use two-dimensional
coordinate grids to represent points and
graph lines and simple figures:
Solar Angle: Graphing From Fall to Winter
Solar Angle
Date
Measurement
Taken
Graphing Length of Day
Hours and
Minutes
Date
Step 3: Interpret Observations
• The Reason for the Seasons: the reason it gets
colder as we move from fall to winter is that
the sun is at a shallower angle so less energy
hits a given area of Berkeley and the days are
shorter, so the solar energy hits Berkeley for
less time each day.
• Cause of this: Tilt of Earth on its axis
Project Break
• Build a Sun Angle Tool
• Use the Sun Angle Tool to determine the sun
angle
• Practice graphing a sun angle
DESIGNING SOLAR HOMES
Note: if this is Redundant from
Last year….then DVD
After DVD we will as a group discern
the principles of solar home design.
Principles of Solar Home Design
1. Winter: Sun In: Orientation and Angle.
2. Summer: Keep Sun out: Use of Eaves, shade zones,
and color.
3. Storage: Thermal Mass: Store warmth in the winter;
store “coolth” in summer; keeps temperature even
4. Weatherization: Keep warmth in in the winter and out
in the summer.
5. Air Circulation: For Cooling and Warming
#1: Let Sun In: Orientation
#1: Let Sun In: Direct Gain:
Glass: the magic solar heating technology
7:100 South Glass to Floor Area without Thermal Mass
Up to 12:100 with Thermal Mass (Depending on Weatherization)
#1: Let Sun In: South Facing Windows
#1: Let Winter Sun In: Clerestory
Windows
#2. Summer: Keep Sun Out
#2: Strategic Use of Eaves: Using Seasonal angles to
our advantage “Designing with Nature”. Two foot eaves work well.
#2: Summer Sun Out
Key: Vertical Glass, not skylights
Summer sun
angle
#2: Eaves to Keep Summer Sun Out:
Let Winter Sun In
Summer
Sun Angle
Winter
Sun
Angle
Porches, shade zones, strategically planted trees
Angles slats let
winter sun in
Angled Slats in
Shade Structure
Landscaping: Note Tree
#3: Storage: Store Energy Gained
Thermal Mass:
(Conduction and Convection)
Content Standards
Earth Sciences 4th GRADE
4. The properties of rocks and minerals reflect
the processes that formed them.
Direct Gain with Thermal Mass
Aim for 3 times the south facing glass (or more)
Thermal
Mass
Thermal
Mass
Thermal Mass: Water Tubes
Trombe Wall: Blocks Glare, Thermal
Storage, Heat Control
Trombe Wall with Windows
#4: Keep Sun’s Energy In:
Weatherization:
Reduce Heat loss, Reduce Amount of solar gain and
thermal mass required (source: sunlight homes)
Conventional insulation
Insulation:
Straw Bale: waste material: R35
(More insulation less heating and cooling needed)
Earth Plaster over Straw Bale
Insulation: Straw Bale: Holds in heat in winter and
keeps it out in Summer. (Combined with thermal mass and
shading, can eliminate need for air conditioning)
Insulation:
SIPs:
Structural
Insulated
Panels
OSB
Board
Foam Insulation
Content Standards: 4th Grade Math
• Fourth Grade MathAlgegra: 1.0 Students use and interpret variables,
mathematical symbols, and properties to write and simplify
expressions and sentences: 1.1 Use letters, boxes, or other symbols to
stand for any number in simple expressions or equations (e.g., demonstrate
an understanding and the use of the concept of a variable).
• Geometry: 1.0 Students understand perimeter and area: 1.1 Measure the
area of rectangular shapes by using appropriate units, such as square
centimeter (cm2), square meter (m 2), square kilometer (km 2), square inch
(in 2), square yard (yd2), or square mile (mi 2). 1.2 Recognize that
rectangles that have the same area can have different perimeters. 1.3
Understand that rectangles that have the same perimeter can have different
areas. 1.4 Understand and use formulas to solve problems involving
perimeters and areas of rectangles and squares. Use those formulas to find
the areas of more complex figures by dividing the figures into basic shapes.
Project Pause: Evaluate the Classroom
• Check Orientation of the Building
• Measure floor space of building and calculate
the amount of needed south facing glass.
• Does the room measure up? How will it
perform
• Evaluate thermal mass. Does the room
measure it up?
Notebook moment
Project Pause
• Review Solar Home Design Principles
• Design/Build Solar Homes with GeoBlocks
• Write up of form and function of your solar
block house: fenestration, orientation, thermal
mass, overhangs, landscaping, etc.
Notebook moment
Content Standards 4th Grade
• 1.0 Writing Strategies Students write clear,
coherent sentences and paragraphs that
develop a central idea. Their writing shows
they consider the audience and purpose.
• Note: so description of home’s solar design,
the various features and their functions….meet
a language arts standard as well as being rich
in science and technology
Content Standards: Writing 5th Grade
• 1.0 Writing Strategies Students write clear,
coherent, and focused essays. The writing
exhibits the students’ awareness of the
audience and purpose. Essays contain formal
introductions, supporting evidence, and
conclusions. Students progress through the
stages of the writing process as needed.
Content Standards 4th Grade
• 2.0 Speaking Applications (Genres and
Their Characteristics) Students deliver brief
recitations and oral presentations about
familiar experiences or interests that are
organized around a coherent thesis statement.
• Note: so verbal description of home’s solar
design, the various features and their
functions….meet a language arts standard as
well as being rich in science and technology
Content Standards: Indigenous
Economy/Architecture: 5th Grade
5.1 Students describe the major pre-Columbian
settlements, including the cliff dwellers and pueblo
people of the desert Southwest, the American Indians of
the Pacific Northwest, the nomadic nations of the
Great Plains, and the woodland peoples east of the
Mississippi River.
1. Describe how geography and climate influenced the way
various nations lived and adjusted to the natural
environment, including locations of villages, the distinct
structures that they built, and how they obtained food,
clothing, tools, and utensils.
Content Standards: Indigenous
Economy/Architecture: 4th G
4.2 Students describe the social, political, cultural, and
economic life and interactions among people of
California from the pre-Columbian societies to the
Spanish mission and Mexican rancho periods.
1. Discuss the major nations of California Indians, including
their geographic distribution, economic activities, legends,
and religious beliefs; and describe how they depended
on, adapted to, and modified the physical environment
by cultivation of land and use of sea resources.
Indigenous “Solar” Architecture
• Incorporates important green energy concepts
including orientation, shading, thermal mass
• Utilizes local, usually on site building
opportunities and materials
• Opportunity to show how other cultures solved
their energy challenges using locally available
materials and cultural developed technologies
Anasazi Pithouse 500 CE,
Green Energy and Materials: geothermal temperature control using
constant temp of earth (dug in); insulation and thermal mass from
the floor/wall/roof construction; good use of local materials with
minimal consumption of wood.
Navaho: Hogan: Sacred Home
• Spiritual"The circular hogan with its east-facing door and its
earthen floor is constructed to encourage harmony, just as the
spiritual beings first instructed," Cambridge explained.
• [Note use of local materials, east-facing door brings in morning
light/warmth, solar mass, ?insulation. Well sealed.
Navajo (Dine) Hogan
• East Facing for morning
solar gain
• Thermal mass and possibly
insulation from the
combination of earth, mud,
clay, wood grasses
• Protection from infiltration
of cold from North
• Use of Local Materials
• “Affordable”
Taos
Pueblo
Copyright(C) 1999 David
Slauson. This image is
copyrighted. The copyright
holder allows anyone to use it
for any purpose, provided that
the photographer is credited.
Taos Pueblo (continuously inhabited for over 1,000 years [ck])
Built between 1000 and 1450: Thick Adobe Wall Construction
Puebloan (aka Anasazi)
Photo taken by Bobak Ha'Eri. May 2005
Pueblos as Green Buildings
• Adobe provides thermal mass as well as local green
building product with healthy breathable walls
• Built with materials on site
• Orientation: South-facing for passive solar gain [ck]
if this is always the practice
• Many adjacent units increases the energy efficiency—
all have access to the south but the other directions
are protected and “insulated.” ck
Mesa Verde
Note Southern Orientation, Shading (overhang), thermal mass.
(Wikipedia Commons)
Mesa Verde
Stone covered with plaster
Photo: http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/articles/mesaverde.htm
Examples of Modern Indigenous Inspired Design
Architect: Craig Henritzy
Note: south facing glass and thermal mass and split level design ,
daylighting, adobe textures/style
Photo courtesy of Craig Henritzy
Modern Adobe
(http://www.oneearthdesign.com/passive_house_standard.html)
Modern Adobe
(http://www.oneearthdesign.com/mangat1.html)
Modern Adobe
(http://www.oneearthdesign.com/)
Compressed Earth Block
(http://www.oneearthdesign.com/)
Compressed Earth Block
(http://www.oneearthdesign.com/)
Sol y Sombra
Mazria Architects: Santa Fe, NM
Project Pause
• Review Solar Home Design Principles
• Take a tour of the neighborhood to look at the
homes, apartment buildings, and our
commercial buidlings.
• Have students comment on its success and/or
failure as a solar designed building. How do
they think it will perform.
Notebook moment
Active and Passive Solar Systems
University of Missouri-Rolla and Rolla Technical Institute
(Designed and built by students)
Rather normal looking for a “solar home;” note water
heater in addition to home heating.
Ancient Design:
Note Solar Design Features; what might be missing?
Examples in the Classroom
Passive Solar Homes: Grade 4/5
Thinking about the Solar Performance
Discussing Strengths and Problems with Designs
Adding Landscaping and Solar
Electricity
High School
Designed for Imperial Valley
Takes into Account Local Climate, Culture, and
Economic Constraints (ESL students)
Need to Explain How the Elements work together to
provide comfortable interior climate (language arts)
High School Interns help Elementary School
students Design Solar Homes
Solar Village
YOUR TURN
•Standard Model or…
•Start Building One to Suit Your
Climate
DESIGN AND BUILD
Project Pause
• Review Solar Home Design Principles
• Design/Build Solar Homes with GeoBlocks
FloorPlan:
Basic Proportions, orientation, flooring materials,
useful for calculating needed southern glass, location of rooms
¼ Inch Scale:
1 square = 1 foot by 1 foot
24 feet x 40 feet = 960 square feet
24 feet
40
feet
Southern Elevation: Useful for designing south facing
glass layout. Note doors are also glass in this design.
4 x 5 feet = 20 square
feet
40 feet
East Elevation: Useful for designing eaves and also
studying depth of seasonal sun light penetration
Use East Elevation to Calculate Eaves and depth of
solar penetration (Winter Sun at noon)
Use East Elevation to Calculate Summer Sun (at noon)
Models without cutouts
Can’t test with light
Block Approach
Blocks to Model