Pass the Heat
By: Sean
Bulman
Summary
statement of proposed project:
Solar
energy is not a new technology but one which has taken a long path to how we
use it today. According to U.S. Department of Energy solar energy was first
used in 7th Century B.C. to create fire from what we would call a magnifying
glass. The first use of solar energy to heat a building came 7 centuries later
in Roman Bathhouses. They incorporated large south facing windows to allow the
sun's warmth to enter. In the 1950's Architect Frank Bridgers designed the
first commercial office building that utilized solar water heating and passive designs
(US Department of Energy, 2013). This building is still in use today. Had all
buildings incorporated these systems, the use of non-renewable sources to
create energy could be at half of what it is today. Passive solar design uses
the suns energy to heat thermal masses. During the day energy is conserved in
the walls and floors and then released at night to regulate the temperature (Thorpe, D. 2011). Comparing homes built with
this design to ones without in the same area one should be able to determine
the benefits or downside of such design.
Purpose:
The purpose of this research paper is to redefine a very old technology and put it towards a better use. Incorporating the sun's energy into the design of buildings through the use of hybrid passive/active systems. This may significantly decrease the costs of heating and cooling of homes and buildings, not just, in and around the Kamloops area, but in any province and our country.
Goals
and objectives:
The main goal of this project is to determine whether or not a hybrid system of solar and thermal mass can drastically decrease the overhead cost of building and operating a home in Golden, BC. Is the use of sunlight to heat thermal mass a reliable source compared to that of a furnace or air conditioner in an everyday home? If this is suitable there, can the design be implicated in the Kamloops area? Would the building become too hot in the heat of Kamloops summer? Could the same materials be used or would more localized materials be beneficial? Would the design only work in areas in direct sunlight or could houses along the south shore also benefit? Therefore the objective is to produce a renovation design that optimizes passive solar design on a house in Batchelor Heights.
Methodology
and Analytical Approach:
There have been multiple studies on passive solar
design. Most of these studies are for creating a new house allowing all criteria
to be met. This is why a renovation will be problematic to complete effectively.
To create this renovation, data will be collected on two houses in Golden BC.
Both of which are relatively new buildings. This is a key element as the
building code changes every so many years. Data would
start by comparing the Green Chalet with the other chalets in energy costs
based on square footage. Next would be comparing the materials used to the
fluctuation of temperature in the building and then the overhead costs of
building to the total energy costs. The houses will be monitored using
temperature data sensors which will replay back to a data logger. These will
collect what the temperature is every hour to give a significant amount of data
points. Using these results, a redesign of a house in Batchelor Heights could be
produced as well as recommendations for both owners in Golden and Kamloops.
Previous
Studies and Related Information:
There
is one Green house in the Kamloops area which was recently built; this is the
Equilibrium Green Home in Sun Rivers. This house incorporates many green
initiatives into a design, one of which is passive solar. Unfortunately within
Kamloops there are no big companies that specialize in passive solar for their
designs. This means the project will show Kamloops that passive solar design is
affordable and not just eco-friendly. The unique issue with Kamloops and
passive solar design is how hot the summers can be thus forcing an exclusive
design for the area.
Plans
for Dissemination of Work:
The
research will be shared through the use a blog. This will allow for everything
to be fully customized the way I see fit. All research will be updated
regularly, along with results. A comments section will be available to allow
readers to share their ideas and opinions towards the project. This will also
allow for any companies to see the work and contact me or the ARET program. A
section in the local newspaper could also be acquired to share results with
people in the area. Thank you letters will be sent to anyone involved in the
research with the given results to not only show the appreciation but insight
them on passive solar design.
Contribution
of the project to my Academic goals and objectives:
Since
elementary school I have aspired to become an Architect. This led me to
discovering the ARET program at a university fair in Ontario. I enjoyed the
thought of enrolling in a more hands on program within the engineering world
rather than a solely knowledge based program. I am now enrolled in my second
year and since then my interests have changed. I once looked at just building
monster homes but now I see how much more a building can be within the
environment. This is what brought me to proposing passive solar homes in and
around the Kamloops area. I hope to compare a built solar passive design in
Golden with surrounding houses on site to see the beneficial impact solar
passive homes can have. My academic goals may vary from month to month
depending on what new insights class brings to mind but my overall objective is
still to become an architect. Therefore implementing this applied research
project would suit my portfolio. Not only would it increase my knowledge about
Green Designs but it would allow me to put it to use in coming years. Passive
solar design could be my signature in the engineering world.
Budget:
This project will have more travel costs than material costs. The chalets which will be compared are located in Golden BC and are already built, one of which is finishing in March 2013. This will allow for up to date costs of materials used. I would like to contact ACR systems INC. which is located in Surrey BC for possibly donating a temperature data logger. This would look good on the company as the logger is being put towards sustainable building designs. A list of expenses is listed below;
Travel:
$400.00 multiple trips throughout the year
Loggers:
$600.00 - Sensors: $150.00 each, Logger: $300.00
Total:
$1000.00
