Thread: Solar passive house

Thanks, you sure copped it with that shocking hot spell. When it's that hot here I find it is about 9- 10 degrees C cooler inside - so the fans are going! Ric

Yes 9~10°c is a very good temperature drop... but thats still 30~35°c inside here!

Having finished our passive solar extension to a victorian terrace in melbourne, I can vouch for the basic positives. North facing double glazed windows with a concrete slab, and properly designed eaves mean that in the winter the sun pours in, and in the middle of summer, no sun at all penetrates the house.
The big problem we have is that in early autumn, when the sun drops lower, the sun starts to get in to the house and heat it more than is comfortable. - as we all know, we and (especially) adelaide had a bit of a heat wave. Some retractable external shading is our next big purchase.

The only expensive thing in the design is the double glazing. The rest of it is based on simple design principles we have known about for years.

Problem is the average Mc Mansion architect either isn't interested in it, or his clients don't care. Just bolt on a bigger A/C or heater and keep the house cost down. This way there will be enough money for the rumpus room and the Plasma.

Mate you can use the 60" plasma as a room heater during winter!