Archive for March 2010

Cooling - Energy Effeiciency

So here we are in the very early Spring and it is still about heating. In fact, most of the solar application discussions seem to revolve around heating the home and the domestic hot water. However, come Summer, a poorly designed and oriented house will require air conditioning to cool the interior raising annual energy costs. In addition solar collector installation needs to be designed and be ready to handle potential overheating in the warm months. I know of one installation that heats the home nicely in the Winter, but during the Summer months the homeowner has to run their radiant floor to keep the collectors from overheating. System design is critical when the weather turns nice. The orientation of the structure on the lot needs to be examined with an annual energy load in mind. Here in Santa Fe properly designed portals will shade in Summer and gain in the Winter. With sufficient ventilation, air circulation, and positioning of glazing and skylights, the need for conventional air conditioning can be either minimized or eliminated entirely. On lots like those in Tessera, the rolling topography and layout of the lots offers the best opportunity for maximization of views and year round energy efficiency.