Two years ago we enclosed the lower porch. The porch faces directly South. In winter the sun lowers in the sky, penetrates the windows, and heats up the enclosed porch. Even though the high for today was 52 F, the lower room got up to 74 F today.
We open the lower doors and all the heat in the enclosed porch (solarium) enters our home and rises to the upper floors. We have a remote thermostat to let us know the temperature in the solarium. When the temperature in the solarium rises above our home's inside temperature, we open the lower doors.
So far today the temperature in our home has risen from 65 F to 69 F just from the free heat we're harvesting in the solarium. Eventually today our home's temperature rose to 72 F. If you have an opportunity to face a building with windows facing south in winter, you'll reap the benefits of free solar heat. This is what is referred to as passive solar.
Today I worked on modifying my butter dish templates and tomorrow I'll make a few more butter dishes. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.
Me too...I've south facing windows, and though they are draped and blinded at night to hold the heat in, and they're double paned, in the winter days when there's sun, they make the rooms so warm I turn a fan on to circulate the heat. Yours being passive to rise to the second floor is a great idea. Of course the sun only comes in during winter, so it's a win win situation!
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara, thanks, yes in summer we open all the windows down there but the sun never hits them but goes overhead. In cold climates south facing is a blessing our driveway faces south thank goodness since it is so steep.
ReplyDeleteThe front of the old house faced south. It was toasty in winter.
ReplyDeleteHi Joanne, thanks, the sun is a welcome ally in winter.
ReplyDeletePassive solar orientation is being used better and more often here. Yay.
ReplyDeleteGood thinking, 99!! :)
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