METHOD AND GLOBAL RELATIONSHIP FOR ESTIMATION OF TRANSMITTED SOLAR-ENERGY DISTRIBUTION IN PASSIVE SOLAR ROOMS

Estimation of the distribution of transmitted solar radiation within a room with large windows is required for correct prediction of building thermal performance and for optimal positioning of the thermal storage mass. This article presents a detailed computer method that determines the instantaneous solar radiation transmitted through a window and absorbed by each room interior surface, and a correlation for estimating the fraction of daily total transmitted solar radiation absorbed by the floor for several latitudes, for different shapes of enclosures, and for varying surface solar absorptances. The correlation was developed by fitting an exponential relationship to results obtained from a numerical study of the variation of the following parameters influencing the distribution of solar radiation: latitude, day of year, geometry of enclosure (width-to-depth ratio and window azimuth angle), window-to-floor area ratio, and surface absorptances.