The wonderful 8 Star Skillion home I recently added to my projects page is a perfect example of the concept of ‘solar passive’ design. The owner was interested in creating a comfortable and efficient home so it has good insulation and orientation and even without double glazing (single glazed smart glass was used) we were able to achieve an excellent star rating of 7.8 - and that in a cooler inland climate area. A very important contributor to this score was it’s northerly orientation and the design of the north facing overhang. Rather than put a verandah or alfresco on the north side which would have provided a detrimental amount of winter shading, there is an extended roof overhang. The overhang width is worked out to be correct for its hieght (to suit raking ceilings) and the sun angle so that in the hottest part of the year the windows are shaded but over winter there is significant warming sun penetration into the house. The polished concrete slab acts a heat sink for all the gatthered heat from winter sun and helps moderate the temperature of the home. The owners have been extermely happy with how well the house maintains a comfortable temperate. It looks fantastic as well. The owner kindly supplied me with the following photos which perfectly illustrate the summer and winter difference in shading.

Solar passive design is made much easier and much more precise with modern 3D modelling software. Early in the design stage I can set the height above sea level and map coordinates for the location, then simulate actual sun angles on the model at any time of the year or time of the day to assess how effective a given overhang is. Having this information is very reassuring for a client when designing a home like this. The below images clearly show how well the winter sun will be warming the interior of the house and the polished concrete slab.

Solar Passive, A case Study

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