passive solar design report

HIMALAYA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

CHYASAL, LALITPUR

AUGUST 18, 2013

Preface HIMALAYA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

REPORT NO. 101

A

REPORT ON

PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN

FOR JUMLA

PREPARED BY:

BIJAY K. PRAJAPATI

066/ B.ARCH/ 07

[ ] August 18, 2013

CHYASAL, LALITPUR

Your Ref. Our Ref.:

Date: August 18, 2013

Subject teacher,

Passive Solar Architecture

Subject: Passive Solar Design for Jumla

Dear Sir,

With due respect I would like to request you to accept this report prepared on the basis of my research and design on the topic to find out the various passive design strategies for the mountainous region in Nepal.

The report is based on the secondary research tools such as web and internet surfing, report reading, books, etc. The finding of the research has revealed the fact that the traditional building material and technology being used in the mountainous region such as Jumla has already been using the various passive technology to obtain insulation and heat gaining and retaining methods.

But what they lack is the excess to modern material and technology which can help them achieve more insulation, better heat and comfort to live more comfortable life. Thus I’ve tried to incorporate various passive design strategies with local material and modern technology to achieve the necessary comfort throughout the year.

Bijay K. Prajapati

ABSTRACT

|Report by:- Bijay Kr. Prajapati

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The present report has been submitted to the concerned authorities to provide my passive design ideas over the mountainous region, Jumla Where I have used various passive design strategies.

Various case study has been done of the residences in mountainous region before doing my own final design. A lot of research has been put in play for this design. I have studied various passive design related books, researched the old reports, internet surfing,

etc. and I also have consulted my design various design ideas with our subject teacher.

From the research and case study I found out that the locals have already been using the passive strategies through their local material and technology. Thus I further improvised their local material and technology responding more to wind, sun, rain and other various natural and environmental element to achieve more thermal comfort and cozy life.

Acknowledgement

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Ar. Arjun Basnet, our respected subject teacher who has helped me a lot and encouraged me to carry on the design process by giving me his very precious suggestion whenever I was in any problem or during the dilemma.


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I am also grateful to Ar. Umesh Dhimal , the Head of Department who always inspired and motivated me to accomplish my work as speedily as possible.

Last but not the least, I want to thank my dear colleague for sharing their invaluable ideas, studying materials without which I could not have completed my design as it is now and give my report the final shape.

CONTENTSS.N. PARTICULARS PAGE NO.

1. ABSTRACT 32. Acknowledgement 43. Introduction of Passive design

Principles of Passive design6

4. Case study: Residence of Jumla SITE INVENTORY/ANALYSIS DATA 9


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Houses in Jumla Architecture plan Construction Detail

101113

5. Passive design for jumla 156. Conclusion 207. Bibliography 20

INTRODUCTIONPassive Design regards the particular way to construct a building using the natural

movement of heat and air, passive solar gain and cooling in order to maintain a good internal comfort. Through the use of passive solutions it is possible to eliminate, or at least reduce, the use of mechanical systems and the energy demand by 80% as well as the CO2 emissions. Building a passive house takes careful planning, which includes the introduction of five basic principles:- orientation- overhangs and shadings- insulation- double or triple glazing- thermal mass


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The Passive House Concept is defined as follows: “A Passive House is a building inwhich thermal comfort can be guaranteed by post-heating or postcoolingthe fresh-air mass flow required for a good indoor air quality”.The standards must be adapted to the climate and geographic situation. The local building traditions and the specific climatic conditions of each region must be analysed in order to achieve the best passive solution. Integrating passive design solutions at the very early design stage add little or nothing to the cost of the building construction. Eventually these solutions help in reducing the CO2 emissions from the building and the use of mechanical systems for heat up and cool down the house.

Following below in more detail the explanation of each passive design principle:Orientation.

The first basic principle in a passive house is the orientation, in which the southern façade of the building should be oriented towards the equator in the northern hemisphere (and the northern façade towards the north in the southern hemisphere.By facing the longer axis of the building in the east/west direction, the longer dimension ofthe home faces will be more likely to gain the maximum solar radiation. For that reason,areas which are most frequently used, such as the kitchen and the living room, must belocated into this part of the building. This orientation is also advantageous for summer cooling conditions because it minimizes the east-west façades to morning and afternoon sunlight.

Overhangs and ShadingOverhangs and shadings are

important devices in a passive house because they help in reducing overheating during the summer season. Therefore, it is very important that the devices are properly sized.


Fig. Orientation and solar gain

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InsulationA well insulated building helps in reducing heat loss during the winter and keeping

the house cool during the summer. Insulated materials, so called because they are poor conductors of heat, form a barrier between interior and exterior spaces, by means between warmed interior and cool exterior, and cool interior and hot exterior according to the season.

WindowsGlazed

surfaces play an important role in a passive house because they serve as solar collectors bringing in light and heat while also providing natural ventilation. The way how windows are positioned, in relation to the landscape, the wind and the movement of the sun can effectively increase the energy efficient and provide a good internal comfort.


Fig: Shading concept

Sheep wool insulationRockwool Insulation

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Thermal massThe

concept of thermal mass regards a solid or liquid material which absorbs and store warmth and releases it when is needed. By means that, the excess solar heat gain can be stored and used when the sun is not shining or where there is no sun at all, as during the night. It actually works as a battery because during the summer season it absorbs heat keeping the house comfortable, while in winter it stores the heat gained and gives it back at night keeping the house warm. Basically in a passive house a thermal mass can work in two ways: by direct solar gain or by indirect solar gain.

CASE STUDY OF HOUSE IN JUMLA


Typical triple-glazing

How thermal mass worksKey

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SITE INVENTORY/ANALYSIS DATA

Jumla lies within the Far-Western Region of Nepal Latitude(deg/min)- 29degree 17min. Longitude(deg/min)-82degree 10min. Elevation(m)- 2300 Sunshine duration-(hr)

Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 2011 8.4 7.6 8.7 7.2 7.2 5.5 3.8 3.6 6.3 9.2 8.7 0.3

Temperature-(o C) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC T max 10.9 14.3 19.3 21.0 25.0 28.2 25.5 24.9 25.5 22.4 19.5 17.8T min -6.3 -4.1 -0.5 4.3 6.7 13.3 16.4 15.5 13.3 2.0 -3.2 -5.1

Wind speed –(m/s)Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 2011 3.4 3.7 4.8 4.9 4.9 4.7 4.0 3.1 3.3 4.9 4.5 3.7

Rainfall-(mm)Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 2011 21.1 91.3 38.8 52.8 60.2 93.5 205.2 260.4 119.1 2.3 0.0 0.0

Relative humidity-(%)Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC R.H. 71.7 67.7 57.1 65.3 60.9 64.6 83.4 82.7 80.9 65.4 58.4 70.0

HOUSES IN JUMLA

Jumla is cold, since it is situated between two Himalayan ranges at an altitude of about 2,400 masl. One has to cross the Annapurna range to reach Jumla from Kathmandu.Houses are built facing the south-east to receive the early morning sun and to continuereceiving it until late in the afternoon. The ground floor is preceded by open courts andis used for cattle with special provisions for horses.

Access to the upper floor is by an outside timber stem ladder. Houses like these withcattle on the ground floor and access to the upper floor by an outside stone stairwaywere built on the borders of England and Scotland and were known as bastle houses.


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The house described here is 73 sq. m. on the ground floor and 200 sq. m. in total.The upper floor consists of a terrace at the front called an ‘atlo’ leading to the livingroom, known as the ‘ubra’. This room is used for social gatherings. The kitchen is thenext in line with the living room. Adjoining the living room is the store. The living roomis in the front while the bedroom is on the side of the open terrace.

The space at the front over the first floor is open, and this open space is used for dryingcrops. There is a storeroom on the second floor towards the rear of the house whichis used for storing grain if it rains while drying it in the sun. Only rich people have thiskind of a storeroom, known as ‘panda’, and it also serves as a status symbol. There areno stairs inside and both floors are approached from the outside by a wooden ladder.Perhaps people in this region did not have the technique for making an opening in thefloor. It forms a striking feature of the house, despite being such an appendage.

The structure of the house is very interesting. Both load-bearing walls are used as framed structures for support. Joists are used and on the top of these are placed woodshavings which are then finished with mud and made into a levelled floor. The joists rest on the beam spanning the timber posts, two of which are placed at each of the fourcorners of the room, usually over a stone base rather than being driven straight into the ground as one would ordinarily expect; there are eight in all. One of the twin posts ends in the ground floor ceiling, while the other one continues to the first floor and ends in the second floor ceiling in the spanning cross-beams which receive the joists. These joists extend further into the rest of the wall.

The cantilever of the roof is about 50 cm all around. On the top of the roof, mud plaster is used as a finish. On the wall, timber ties are used, two of which, one on the exterior face and the other on the interior face, are tied to each other by transverse timberpieces by simply nailing over the horizontal ties. These ties occur on two levels, oneat sill level and the other at lintel level. The practice of providing such ties can be seenonly at Chainpur in Bajhang in the west of Nepal.


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The houses in Jumla are distinct in terms of their structure. While there are timber posts at the centre of the interiors in other houses in the country, these are conspicious bytheir absence in the houses in Jumla. The timber posts are in the corner instead. Theprovision of the ties is another striking structural difference. Such ties are also found inthe houses in Afghanistan.


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PASSIVE DESIGN FOR JUMLA

DOME BUILDING


Dome buildings have great strength due to the natural strength of the arch, thus is more earthquake resistant.

Dome buildings have good insulation due to minimum surface area of the spherical section.

Dome buildings cover large floor space with economical use of materials of construction, about 25% to 40% less material. Thus is cost effective.

Energy efficient as minimum amount of light and sound energy is sufficient because of its close curve surface.

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Jumla is a windy area where the harsh wind blow throughout the year.

Dome has a dynamic form which is highly resistant to windy forces such as tornado, cyclone, hurricane, etc.

Dome building experiences less wind load, which is very high in case of Jumla.

Minimum level of air pressure is generated in dome which makes it more safer and durable for windy area.

Tree plantation on west helps to control the wind.

Cross ventilation over the building keeps the building cool during winter.

Stack effect for ventilation.

Minimum surface area, thus good insulation in dome buildings.

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Animal shed on G. floor . thus heat dissipated by body of livestock rises up to adjacent rooms.

Central kitchen to radiate heat generated in kitchen to all the other rooms. Sun space over terrace area transfer further heat to the living room, also used for direct

sun gazing. Use of heat absorbing panel placed such that it obtains heat only by the winter sun

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CONCLUSIONIn conclusion, we can say that various passive strategies has been experimented,

improvised, tried on the building from the history of our time to achieve human comfort and livable space. And in this modern era people are still using and experimenting various passive strategies to achieve maximum level of comfort because of its absolutely relevant outcomes and benefits.

Similarly, the houses in Jumla have also reached the certain state of thermal comfort using various passive strategies by taking various steps of passive strategies throughout the history of Jumla. Thus in my design I’ve tried to take it a step further in their context of using passive strategies to achieve more comfort and workable spaces.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Meteorological data of Jumla from Meteorological Department www.weatherforyou.com/clickcast/international/np/jumla.html Tropical housing Passive solar design Passive solar building in mountains Internet world wide web


passive solar design report

Documents

design various design

passive design ideas

various passive technology

final design

passive strategies

design process

various case study

mountainous region