Passive Solar House Project

In this project, we build a cardboard model of a passive solar house, with key elements such as the orientation of the house, the use of windows, and the wiring of solar panels to loads, such as fans, LEDs, and a buzzer.

The supplies you need are:

1. Cardboard
2. Hot glue
3. Tape
4. Pencil
5. Sharpie
6. Straight edge
7. Wire
8. LEDs
9. Buzzer
10. Fan
11. Large switches
12. Small switches
13. Solar panels
14. Car charger
15. Small battery
16. Eurosplicer
17. Soldering Iron
18. Box knife

The first step in creating your passive solar house is the design process. In this step, it is very important to look at all the elements you want to include in your house and key elements in maximizing the efficiency of the home. Some of the key elements you want to include are orientation, windows, shade, and solar orientation. In order to maximize the efficiency of the house, your house must have a southerly orientation.

In order to maximize the efficiency of the passive solar house, it is important to understand solar principles. Solar azimuth is the horizontal angle of the sun's position, to maximize efficiency your solar panels must have a proper panel azimuth matching the sun's azimuth. Your solar panels should be oriented perpendicular to the solar azimuth allowing for peak energy output.

The second step of your passive house project is to build the house itself. Using your sketches and dimensions, begin marking out your different floors, walls, and roof panels. This step is very important in designing your house, taking into account each of your loads and the many different aspects of an efficient passive house.

You must begin assembling your house from the bottom up, starting with a very solid base. When cutting make sure to use proper cutting procedures, such as cutting away from you, and using a cutting mat.

Here are some helpful tips to help you cut your house;

1. when cutting, make multiple shallow cuts, not one deep cut.

2. Use a straight edge to make sure all of your panels are straight and square.

3. Measure twice and cut once. The last step in assembling your house is to assemble it. When assembling your house, first use small pieces of tape to mock out your design, making sure that everything fits.

Once everything fits, glue your house together, but be very sparing with the glue, as you do not want it to be extremely messy.

The next step in your passive solar home is to wire your switches, panels, batteries, and loads. To begin the wiring of your home, first sketch out a simple diagram of your wiring. Practice soldering a few times on some extra pieces of wire, until you feel comfortable soldering.

The first step in wiring your passive solar house is to wire the solar panels in series connecting them into one of your large switches. The large solar panel outputs 19.5 volts and 8 amps, and the small solar panels output 18 volts and 4 amps. Once your solar panels are wired, add another large switch coming from your battery. At the output ends of the switches, combine your two positive leads, and your two negative leads. Now that you have wired both of your energy inputs, it is time for the next step.

Now that you have wired both of your energy inputs, it is time to wire your first load; the fan. Begin by installing the fan in the location marked in your design. Once your fan is installed, wire one lead of the fan to the corresponding lead. The next step is to wire the other lead of the fan to a switch, and then from the switch to the opposite lead.

Now that you have wired both of your energy inputs and first load, it is time to install your second load; the buzzer. Install the buzzer where you positioned it in your original sketches, making sure you can still access the wires. Wire the buzzer in the same way as the fan, one lead straight to the source, and the other intercepted by a switch.

Now that you have wired both of your energy inputs and two of your loads, it is time to add your last load, the LEDs. The LEDs are a little more tricky to wire, as they must be wired in parallel. In order to make sure that you have enough energy to power your LEDs, you want to wire them outside of the house first. The different color LEDs require different amounts of energy, so keep trying different amounts and colors until they all work. Install the LEDs in the house, and wire them the same way with a switch.

The last step in fabricating your passive solar house is to organize all of your wires and secure your loads. Making sure that all of your wiring is very clean is critical to wiring your house, allowing you to quickly find shorts and errors in your wiring. In this step also finish up any aspects of your house, making sure all your house is all secure.