Around an ongoing barn conversion project, this website draws together advice, information and references to aid all would-be and current barn and non-residential building converters and renovators.

Our approach takes on board 'healthy house', sustainable, ecological & environmental concepts to as great a degree as timescales and budgets allow.

my barn conversion
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Microgeneration installations now 'permitted developments' by mbc on May 6th, 2008

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My Favourite Things ~ ‘Stone Wall’ by mbc on May 1st, 2008

Building Progress ~ April 2008 by mbc on April 29th, 2008

Peak Oil ~ what is it & what bearing does it have on green building? by mbc on April 27th, 2008

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On Peak Oil ~ what is it & what bearing does it have on green building? by Transition Town Llandeilo | my barn conversion on May 4th, 2008

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That's a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question miss dee ennis and obviously depends on location, the approach you take to the project (architect / main contractor / self-managed with sub-contractors etc.

On Where have all the builders gone? by miss dee ennis on April 28th, 2008
I am thinking of buying a barn for myself and would be gratfull if someone could give me a ballpark figure as to how much this is likly to cost .

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Passive Solar Design

August 1st, 2007 by mbc

Whilst a little late in the day for our barn (it was built 100+ years ago) the orientation of a building to the sun and the suns relationship with the buildings windows, doors and other openings are the focus of passive solar design.

Through effective passive solar design we seek to harness the power of the sun to our advantage whilst protecting inhabitants from its excesses.

So what do we need to consider in our design:

  • The strength of the sun at different times of the year. This will be determined by the latitude, altitude and azimuth of the site, with these factors being tempered by shading of the building and weather conditions.
  • Ways in which we can maximise the use of the sun in providing heating for the building whilst avoiding over exposure of the interior and inhabitants to solar radiation.
  • What technology and techniques will we need to control and manage heat gain, storage and release and then provide ventilation and system reset.

The basic structure of a passive solar heating system is:

Solar radiation enters the the building via glazed windows, it is absorbed by the thermal mass of the building - its masonry walls and floors. Once stored within the thermal mass of the structure technology is employed to ensure that the heat is retained (through good insulation of the envelop of the building) and utilised in an effective and targeted manner (through well designed radiation, convection and conduction paths and optionally energy consuming methods such as fans and air blowers).

A direct gain system is one where the main means of thermal gain is through direct heating of the thermal mass by solar radiation entering the building through windows and being absorbed by the thermal mass. An indirect gain system is one where solar radiation is captured and stored in a component of the building that has a high thermal mass and from there released to areas within the building that require heating.

If you enjoyed that post, then read these...

What is Thermal Mass? on August 6th, 2007
One of those frequently occurring eco-building terms, thermal mass is often mentioned but rarely defined.

PassivHaus on August 22nd, 2007
One of the cornerstones of energy efficient, healthy, sustainable building design, the PassivHaus standard aims to provide comfortable year round living conditions through minimal energy expenditure.

Zero Carbon House on August 17th, 2007
A term often heard, but of rarely understood, just what does it mean? Some definitions: "within ten years every new home will be a zero-carbon home" Gordon Brown, then Chancellor, in pre-budget report 2006.

Posted in Eco-Architecture |

One Response

  1. What is Thermal Mass? | my barn conversion Says:

    […] Passive Solar Design by mbc on August 1st, 2007 […]

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