A Comprehensive Analysis of Modern Passive Solar Design Techniques and Applications

Abstract

Passive solar design has been a fundamental and core concept in architecture, maintaining its reliability for hundreds of years. With records showing that early cultures recognized the advantages of passive solar approaches and incorporated features such as south-facing buildings, shade-producing porticos, and materials that could store and release solar heat gradually [23]. However, with the use of mechanical heating and cooling systems they have replaced passive solar techniques due to the widespread availability of inexpensive fossil fuels. Energy-efficient building techniques had a resurgence in popularity when the environmental effects of relying too heavily on fossil fuels became more apparent, especially during the energy crises of the 1940s, 1970s, and late 2000s [27]. With programs like the R-2000 standard and research at the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology (CCHT) setting standards for sustainable building design, nations like Canada have made major contributions to contemporary passive solar research and implementation [30]. Current passive solar techniques, which seek to reduce energy use, have been impacted by these efforts.