General Information Report 27 Passive solar estate layout

Publication Year

1997

Document Status

Withdrawn

Abstract

Discusses site planning and the implications of maximising daylight on landscaping and house design. The Report features houses that are not extreme in any sense. They merely have slightly smaller windows on the north side and collect solar energy through carefully sited windows on the south side. They conform to current insulation standards, and are saleable in current markets. The aim of passive solar estate design is to plan the layout of roads and individual house plots to take advantage of available sunlight. This is achieved by: orientating as many houses as possible so that the elevation with the most glazing faces within 30° of south avoiding obstructions in order to maximise solar access to windows. The greatest energy savings from a passive solar estate layout are achieved by using houses specifically designed for passive solar applications. Up to half the savings come from the estate layout with the remainder coming from designing the house itself to take advantage of solar gains.

Publisher Information