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18/6/99
solacalc is being developed to make predicting passive solar house design performance easier. Planned developments include updating U-value information on the latest building methods, extending solar radiation data and adding environmental impact data. We are also considering a sort of Visio style method of inputting building project plan information. In time, SAP calculations and global solar radiation data will be added. But this will depend on user responses, so if you have any comments or suggestions, do please email to dacPc@compuserve.com
SAP calculations are a purely UK requirement, necessary to show conformity with the UK Building regulations, so will be mainly useful to UK users.
Global solar radiation data could be attempted using the algorithms of Dr. Tariq Muneer, of Napier College Edinburgh, Scotland in his new book "Solar Radiation and Daylight Models for the Energy Efficient Design of Buildings" Architectural Press, 1997 ISBN 0 7506 2495 7. Useful accuracy will be a major consideration for inclusion within solacalc.
solacalc is available in version 2.01e - if you're using an earlier version we'd like to strongly recommend you download or apply for a free upgrade!
solacalc now handles more screen sizes and has received some cosmetic refinements as a result of user inputs.There are also some minor bug fixes.
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Monthly degree-days Using suncharts Solar Radiation Resource Information Solar Radiation Data Building Regulations U-Values And R-Values Energy Web Directory - Solar Energy The Self-Sufficient Solar House Solar power in the UK International Solar Energy Societytop
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With performance calculated, solacalc will show you when you can expect to gain financially as well as heat-wise and in terms of comfort. There's a reference design that shows you what would happen without the solar features. At any time, you can alter the design, and see the effects. You can then view the figures, or the graphs to see how your design is likely to perform for each month of the heating season. You can try setting the thermostat back to gain extra savings and you can see if it's all worth it or what it will cost with the financial analysis. In all, solacalc is designed to test the benefits of installing passive solar technologies. solacalc includes sophisticated calculations for -
 solar air collectors mass solar walls open solar walls trombe walls sunspaces |
recovery systems energy storage thermostat setback reference comparison financial analysis |
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solacalc has been designed to make calculating what to expect from passive solar house designs easier, in the hope that more architects, builders and homeowners will benefit from building with the sun in mind.
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solacalc is a front-end for 20+ Excel spreadsheets that follow the New Method 5000 system of calculating heat losses and gains in primarily passive solar houses. (A European Union Standard method). Specifically the worksheets calculate monthly totals for -
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Heat loss from walls and roofs Heat loss from windows Heat loss from floors and thermal bridges Heat loss from Buffer spaces Heat loss from ventilation leaks Total heat loss Monthly heat demand Direct solar gains from windows |
Gains from windows behind buffer spaces Gains from mass walls behind buffer spaces Solar gains from glazed buffer spaces Buffer effect and ventilation gains form buffer spaces Air collector gains Open solar wall gains Trombe wall gains Mass solar wall gains |
Total Solar gains Monthly heat load Intermittent heating scenarios Financial scenarios Thermal inertia Equivalent reference design for comparison Visual design check |
To get hold of your evaluation copy (1.2mb), just hit this link.....
To register, go to
To unzip solacalc you may need to download
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