The paper outlines the evolution of solar architecture in the past 80 years. The goal is to consider the study of the morphology of architecture in its relationship with services, especially solar active systems; our purpose is to enhance the idea that history of services should help achieving efficiency targets in buildings. In this actual phase of massive production of active systems, a real integration is not always the final result of building design. The interpretation of the controversial term “solar architecture” is based on some milestone books in the United States and Europe over the last 80 years. With active solar architecture it is intended the exploitation of solar radiation with the use of mechanical systems (services), that are preferably integrated in the building. On the contrary, passive systems (greenhouses, etc..) don’t use mechanical systems, but exploit solar radiation (minimizing overheating) through architectural components, considering the shape and the orientation of the building. The first known example of active solar house can be found in Cambridge (USA) in 1939; the Solar House I was built at MIT to test an original thermal solar system, compatible with the morphology of a common American House; the water was heated in panels placed on the roof, then stored in a boiler underground, where the thermal energy of the fluid was exchanged with the cooler air of a pipe system; the temperate air was finally sent inside the house using some ventilators. After the Second World War the experiments at MIT continued (Solar II, III, IV, …). The houses in Cambridge proved that active buildings could no longer exist without the integration with passive systems. Passive and active systems found a very high level of integration after the oil crisis (1973), in particular in Germany with the work of Thomas Herzog. The recent development of PVs has encouraged the integration of active systems in many prototype buildings in Europe and United States. A small selection of built examples in this paper show a new reconsideration of the role of the building envelope. Its function of energy exchanger is assuming a relevant position in the general economy of the project. All that influences the formal composition in an architectural design. The conscious choice to operate with the instruments of solar architecture imply very precise results, directing the project to a maximum level of energy efficiency in relation to an high level of architectural quality: this relation can be defined as synergic efficiency.

A Brief History of Active Systems in Solar Architecture

BARBOLINI, FAUSTO;GUARDIGLI, LUCA
2015

Abstract

The paper outlines the evolution of solar architecture in the past 80 years. The goal is to consider the study of the morphology of architecture in its relationship with services, especially solar active systems; our purpose is to enhance the idea that history of services should help achieving efficiency targets in buildings. In this actual phase of massive production of active systems, a real integration is not always the final result of building design. The interpretation of the controversial term “solar architecture” is based on some milestone books in the United States and Europe over the last 80 years. With active solar architecture it is intended the exploitation of solar radiation with the use of mechanical systems (services), that are preferably integrated in the building. On the contrary, passive systems (greenhouses, etc..) don’t use mechanical systems, but exploit solar radiation (minimizing overheating) through architectural components, considering the shape and the orientation of the building. The first known example of active solar house can be found in Cambridge (USA) in 1939; the Solar House I was built at MIT to test an original thermal solar system, compatible with the morphology of a common American House; the water was heated in panels placed on the roof, then stored in a boiler underground, where the thermal energy of the fluid was exchanged with the cooler air of a pipe system; the temperate air was finally sent inside the house using some ventilators. After the Second World War the experiments at MIT continued (Solar II, III, IV, …). The houses in Cambridge proved that active buildings could no longer exist without the integration with passive systems. Passive and active systems found a very high level of integration after the oil crisis (1973), in particular in Germany with the work of Thomas Herzog. The recent development of PVs has encouraged the integration of active systems in many prototype buildings in Europe and United States. A small selection of built examples in this paper show a new reconsideration of the role of the building envelope. Its function of energy exchanger is assuming a relevant position in the general economy of the project. All that influences the formal composition in an architectural design. The conscious choice to operate with the instruments of solar architecture imply very precise results, directing the project to a maximum level of energy efficiency in relation to an high level of architectural quality: this relation can be defined as synergic efficiency.
2015
Proceedings of the Fifth Ibternational Congress on Constrcution History
139
146
Fausto Barbolini; Luca Guardigli
File in questo prodotto:
Eventuali allegati, non sono esposti

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11585/500771
 Attenzione

Attenzione! I dati visualizzati non sono stati sottoposti a validazione da parte dell'ateneo

Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact