This handy pocket reference contains a wealth of information on a range of topics including the principles of passive solar building and passive house, a ten-step design and build strategy, calculating solar irradiance, factors affecting the choice of building materials, passive heating and cooling principles and techniques in different climates, the Passivhaus Standard and natural and augmented lighting and notes on technology and building occupation. The book also includes conversion factors, standards, resources and is peppered throughout with helpful illustrations, equations, explanations, and links to further online resources.

Ideal for practitioners, architects, designers, consultants, planners, home builders, students and academics, and those working in development contexts, the book is intended to act as an aide memoir, a reference supplement, a resource and an overview of the field. Rich in background detail, the book also includes at-a-glance tables and diagrams, equations and key definitions.


Solar Energy Pocket Reference

by David Thorpe

Published 10 November 2017

This handy pocket reference provides a wealth of practical information relating to solar energy and solar energy technologies. Topics covered include solar radiation and its detailed measurement, the emissivity and absorption properties of materials, solar thermal energy collection and storage, photovoltaics (both at all scales), solar cooling, and the use of solar energy for desalination and drying. The book also includes conversion factors, standards and constants and is peppered throughout with helpful illustrations, equations and explanations, as well as a chapter making the business case for solar power.

Anyone with an interest in solar energy, including energy professionals and consultants, engineers, architects, academic researchers and students, will find a host of answers in this book - a practical assimilation of fundamentals, data, technologies and guidelines for application.