Managing Solar Gain

This three‐hour course focuses on the methods and strategies design professionals can use to optimize and manage passive solar energy gains. There are specific design strategies and building components that design professionals can utilize to enable building occupants to effectively use passive solar energy for heating purposes.

You will learn to:

• **Understand Solar Path and Its Impact:** Gain a comprehensive understanding of how the sun's position changes seasonally and its implications for building design, moving beyond simplistic assumptions to data-driven insights.
• **Optimize Building Orientation and Shape:** Discover how strategic building design, including orientation and shape, can significantly influence solar gain, minimizing unwanted heat in warm months and maximizing beneficial warmth in colder periods.
• **Master Window and Glazing Selection:** Learn to choose the right types and placements of windows, considering factors like U-value, solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), and visible light transmittance (VLT) to balance thermal performance with natural light and views.
• **Implement Effective Shading Strategies:** Design and apply various shading solutions, from architectural overhangs and trellises to advanced dynamic windows, to control solar penetration throughout the year.
• **Utilize Roofs and Walls for Thermal Management:** Explore the role of reflective roofs (considering solar reflectance and thermal emittance), insulated walls, and radiant barriers in managing heat transfer, enhancing comfort, and reducing energy consumption.
• **Integrate Thermal Mass and Daylighting:** Understand how incorporating thermal mass and designing for natural daylighting can stabilize indoor temperatures, reduce peak loads, and improve occupant well-being.

This course emphasizes a holistic, integrative design approach, demonstrating how thoughtful choices in managing solar gain can lead to more energy-efficient, comfortable, and cost-effective buildings. Through practical examples, tools, and case studies, including real-world applications, you will develop the expertise to make informed decisions that significantly impact a building's energy performance and environmental footprint.