Air is drawn from the living space through connecting lower vents to be exhausted through the sunroom upper vents (the upper vents from the sunroom to the living space and any operable windows must be closed and the thermal mass wall of the sunroom must be shaded). Thermal chimneys are designed around the fact that warm air rises; they create a warm or hot zone of air (often through solar gain) and have a high exterior exhaust outlet.

Although water stores twice as much heat as masonry materials per cubic foot of volume, water thermal storage requires carefully designed structural support. The two primary elements of passive solar heating are south facing glass and thermal mass to absorb, store, and distribute heat.

The design considerations for these three functions are very different, and accommodating all three functions requires compromises.Experienced passive solar home designers plan for summer comfort as well as winter heating. 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.

The heat migrates through the wall and radiates into the living space. There are several different approaches to implementing those elements. Passive solar design refers to the use of the sun’s energy for the heating and cooling of living spaces by exposure to the sun.

When designing, place windows in the walls facing the prevailing breeze and opposite walls. Consider possible future uses of the land to the south of your site—small trees become tall trees, and a future multi-story building can block your home’s access to the sun.

A passive solar house requires careful design and siting, which vary by local climate conditions. Sunspaces serve three main functions -- they provide auxiliary heat, a sunny space to grow plants, and a pleasant living area. In winter the sun is lower in the sky, while in summer it is higher. When sunlight strikes a building, the building materials can reflect, transmit, or absorb the solar radiation. During the winter months, the sun crosses the southern part of the sky. As the room cools during the night, the thermal mass releases heat into the house.Some builders and homeowners use water-filled containers located inside the living space to absorb and store solar heat.

The most common indirect-gain approach is a Trombe wall.The wall consists of an 8-inch to 16-inch thick masonry wall on the south side of a house. First, the sun’s path changes throughout the year. It accelarates natural wind speed due to pressure differences created by the wing wall.In a climate like New England where night time temperatures are generally lower than daytime ones, focus on bringing in cool nighttime air and then closing the house to hot outside air during the day. For a direct gain system to work well, thermal mass must be insulated from the outside temperature to prevent collected solar heat from dissipating. The hot air exits the building at the high vent, and cooler air is drawn in through a low vent.There are many different approaches to creating the thermal chimney effect. Passive solar design takes advantage of a building’s site, climate, and materials to minimize energy use. Heat loss is especially likely when the thermal mass is in direct contact with the ground or with outside air that is at a lower temperature than the desired temperature of the mass.The most common indirect gain systems is a Trombe wall. In some areas, zoning or other land use regulations protect landowners’ solar access.

Passive solar design made a lot of sense when homes had no insulation and energy was cheap (free) like cutting down a few trees per year. One is an attached south facing sunroom that is vented at the top. Passive Solar Design rests on these main principles : Angle Your Home towards the Sun In the northern hemisphere, you want your house to face southward.