Buildings

A row of low energy houses: The balcony serves as both a collector stand and a gathering area. Picture: MBW.NRW

Through solar building methods a huge amount of energy can be saved. Passive Solar Design (windows facing south, heat insulation, etc.) alone has the potential to save up to 90 % in the cost of Heating, while the remaining heat can be produced using solar collectors. Every roof facing south is also a potential Solar Energy provider. Solar heat collectors and photovoltaic systems can be built into existing roof structures as well as be included in the plans of future Building projects. Coordination between architects and solar technology experts is an excellent basis for the highest Efficiency and living comfort. Low- or Zero-Energy Buildings face south and combine Heat Insulation, demand-oriented ventilation, and ‘intelligent’ solar energy systems. When the energy needed for heating and CO2 emissions both decline, then the standard of living will improve. Solar building is by no means a new development: the first Solar Settlements – cities which were built taking the sun’s energy into account – existed in ancient Egypt (El Lahun, 1800 BC) and in Mesopotamia (Babylon, 3500 BC).

See also: Solar Architecture, Low-Energy Buildings, Passive Buildings, Zero-Energy Buildings

Further information:

• http://www.informatik.uni-bonn.de/~rhino/tourguide/html/solar-house.html

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