1. What’s the project about & why do we want to look at this problem? (Why Passive?) Solar

Both water and homes have been heated by passive solar energy since 1882. Passive solar energy technology can best be described as thermal windows and orientation of buildings to receive the maximum amount of sunlight during the course of a day. Active heating, which utilizes solar panels, is largely a development of the 20th century. Although heating homes is a necessity during winter months, Texas needs to develop a way to cool buildings during much of the year due to high humidity and scorching temperatures. Cooling using solar energy is possible but complex since it requires an indirect technique to extract heat. The solar cooling technology was first displayed on a large scale at Trinity University in San Antonio during 1977. Texas Tech University was the first institution to develop a moderately sized solar-electric power plant in the United States. The solar-electric power plant developed by Texas Tech replaced the diesel-fueled generators used to power the City of Crosbyton. The device used to harness solar energy and convert solar radiation into electricity has been modified for usage at the Johnson and Johnson plant in Sherman, Texas as an economical electricity generating alternative (Wilder, 2013).

Solar panels could be set up on many roofs, eliminating the problem of discovering an ideal area for setup. Photovoltaic panel require little or no upkeep. The original solar batteries modern technology is utilized for the majority of satellites orbiting our planet today which are not kept at all. Numerous solar panel producers offer 25 to 40 years service warranty on their items.

According to Shahan (2014) "in the state of Florida going solar cost around to $24,692 resulting

placement. On the other hand, solar panels are highly costly and cause much maintenance and

Passive solar heating designs are some of the simplest forms of incorporating solar energy into your daily home life. Passive solar designs incorporate the sun

Currently solar power is beginning to expand horizontally throughout communities. This growth is creating a demand that is beginning to reduce the expense of purchasing and installing solar panels. The concept is catching on and the technology is improving as the demand increases.

Big idea: Solar energy is great for the environment because of no pollution, it gets a lot of energy, and it is a great investment. However, solar panels can come at a high cost to buy and to get installed.

Solar energy has its ups and downs with advantages and disadvantages. A few advantages of using solar energy are that it is a renewable energy source, the development of technological advances, different applications for its uses, and a reduction on the electric bill. The idea of using solar power began around the 1960s and hasn’t stopped growing since. It is such a good idea that the president of the United States of America had solar panels installed at the White House. “On June 20, 1979, the Carter administration installed 32 panels designed to harvest the sun’s rays and use them to heat water” (Biello, David). Although the panels did not get a chance to stay in the White House for very long, they served their purpose very well. “By 1986, the Reagan administration had gutted the research and development budget for renewable energy at the then-fledgling U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) and eliminated tax breaks for the deployment of wind turbines and solar technologies—recommitting the nation on reliance on cheap but polluting fossil fuels, often from foreign suppliers” (Biello, David).

Passive solar design consists of taking natural solar energy, such as that from the sun, and using it to our own advantages such as heating or cooling a building. This technique utilizes the sun's heat energy and is important in architectural designs becuase it can have an impact on bettering the environment. An example of this could be larger window placements on buildings based upon the location of the sun as well as taking into consideration the different season of the year.

Many people buy solar panels for their houses so they can use that energy. Solar panels help get energy for your house and use that energy for the lights or even to produce heat for your house. You can add immense amounts of insulation when building a new house even if cost a little bit more, it will lower the cost for heating and air conditioning

In addition, solar energy operational costs are manageable. It is free from monthly charges compared to conventional sources of energy. Solar energy does not require raw materials such as oil and coal, and once the panels are built, there will be no monthly charges. In addition, the prices of fossil fuels are increasing day by day, and this means conventional energy will be very expensive. Solar energy will remain the most capable world’s future power supply because, it is cost effective once the plants are built, and there will be no transport costs like for conventional energy sources. Therefore, solar energy is cost-effective, and will help in future energy supply, as the maintenance cost is affordable, as long as they are installed properly, and are working efficiently ( Hans, 2012). Furthermore, with the improvement and advancement of technology, it will increase its efficiency, and cost of production thus, making it more cost effective and the world’s best

To achieve the building function and cool efficiently, the curtain wall design needed to be incorporated into the effective means of controlling the solar gain. The main solar control comes from the roller blinds in the ventilated inner cavity of the triple-glazed glass to reduce solar radiation by 95%. The resistance of the building to solar gain is measured by “G value” which for the average office is 0.34 when using double glazing. According to Arup’s Shard project manager, David Healy, by using triple glazing with intelligent motorised roller blinds control system which could track the position and intensity of the sun to deploy the blinds only when required, the G value at The Shard will be reduced by 0.12. thereby significantly

These components include properly sized HVAC systems with programmable thermostat and jumper ducts, treated crawl spaces, 2x6 exterior walls with R-19 insulation, foil backed plywood placed in the roof to deflect 97 percent of the sun’s radiant heat and low-e windows, and tankless water heaters. It is estimated that these features may reduce utility costs by half. As an upgrade, a homeowner may add solar panels. “Solar makes a lot of sense,” says Peter Winkler, also of Homes by Dickerson. He estimates that his solar panels cut his household electricity bill by 50 to 60 percent. (peter pink #43)

Water use is becoming an increasingly important issue. Energy is used to extract the water from the ground, treat it, pump it to your home, and heat it in your hot water tank. Energy is also consumed to pump, treat and discharge the water once it leaves your home. The efficient use of water in your home reduces the power consumed by our community. From significant appliances to little things like showerheads, there

There is a vast potential in the integration of solar energy into the supply of energy to buildings, both in