Passive Solar Roof

A roof pond passive solar system sometimes called a solar roof uses water stored on the roof to temper hot and cold internal temperatures usually in desert environments.

Passive solar roof.

This concept is based on the principle that the sun s light streaming into your home s windows generates heat. It typically is constructed of containers holding 6 to 12 in 150 to 300 mm of water on a flat roof. Therefore you want to allow the sun s light to shine on windows or even exterior walls only when it is cold outside and you want to block the sun s rays when it is hot outside. Passive solar homes can be any color just like normal homes but they lose a major advantage if they aren t painted to suit the climate.

In addition the heat produced by the sun causes air movement that can be predictable in designed spaces. The share of the home s heating load that the passive solar design can meet is called the passive solar fraction and depends on the area of glazing and the amount of thermal mass. Let s start with passive solar roof design. In passive solar homes effective weatherproofing and insulation and thus near airtightness is a necessity if primary reliance upon sunlight for climate control is to be possible.

Light colored homes reflect the sun s light reducing the amount of heat retained in the walls and therefore lowering summer cooling loads.