Passive architecture has been part of architecture from the beginning. There have been historical periods of very sophisticated passive design followed by periods of neglect, but overall there has been a gradual evolution of our abilities to develop buildings that passively respond to the heating, cooling, lighting and ventilation needs of the occupants. This evolution has gained speed with the development of material technology, the rise in the cost of fossil fuels and the ability to model building performance.
The most recent evolution has been accompanied by an enlargement of the functions that passive buildings can accomplish, as shown on the upper right of page 2. [46, 37]
The elementary relationships between energy production, use and efficiency are the first considerations in passive solar design.
Efficiency, effective operation with a minimum of waste, must relate to both production and use for the whole to be efficient.
Our industrial society has so isolated production and use that very few people think about their use of energy. The result is while we’ve become more efficient with production we’ve become very wasteful with our use of energy, especially in buildings.
“Ideal” temperature balance in static theory.
Reality for mechanical systems.
Passive design is the reuniting of production, use, and efficiency at the scale of individual buildings.
1. Uses on-site sources of energy.
2. Relies on natural energy flows with a minimum of moving parts.
3. Integrates production, use, and efficiency by the building’s design and form.
Passive design is more than efficiency, since it also involves on-site energy production.
Another unique character of passive solar architecture is the goal in regard to interior air temperatures. Instead of attempting to maintain a steady ideal temperature, a passive goal is to keep the chaotic change in temperature limited to a comfort zone defined by the biome of the site.
Thermal goal for interior temperature swings for a passive building in a mountainous, cold biome; Denver, Colorado, USA [5]
