Passive Solar Design

The building itself can be designed to function as a passive mechanical system. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Analysis was utilized to optimize the design of the passive solar Trombe walls at the Blue Ridge Parkway Destination Center (Images 1-6), which harvest solar energy for winter heating. A radiant hot water loop provides supplemental heating during peak demands. The passive solar design was a critical energy efficiency measure contributing to the Blue Ridge Parkway building’s projected 75 percent reduction in energy use. At the Southface Eco Office (Images 7-8), shading devices are optimized to prevent unwanted summer heat gains while allowing passive solar heating in the winter.

Our in-house Building Performance Analysts provide energy modeling, solar analysis and CFD modeling to help inform the design process.

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©Jonathan Hillyer