Residence Design Cold & Sunny Climate-ladakh

COLD & SUNNY CLIMATE

THE VARIOUS TECHNIQUES BY WHICH WE CAN TRAP HEAT ENERGY FOR EFFICIENT HOUSE WARMING ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Trombe Wall Greenhouse (Solarium) Light colour pavement Solar Window Sunspaces Air-lock lobby Double Glazed Window Solar Air Heater Skylights Under Floor heating South to North Sloping Roof

COLD & SUNNY CLIMATE

THE COLD AND SUNNY TUPE OF CLIMATE IS EXPERIENCED IN LEH (LADAKH) THE REGION IS MOUNTAINOUS, HAS LITTLE VEGETATION, AND IS CONSIDERED TO BE A COLD DESERT. THE RELATIVE JUMIDITY ID CONMSISTENTLYU LOW RANGING FROM ABOUT 10-50 % AND PRECIPITATION GENERALLY LESS THJATM 2000 MM PER UEAR. WINDS ARE OCCASIONALLY INTENSE. . THE SKY IS FAIRLY CLEAR THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WITH A CLOUD COVER OF LESS THAN 50%. AS THIS REGION EXPERIENCES COLD DESERT CLIMATIC CONDITIONS, THE DESIGN CRITERIA ARE TO RESIST HEAT LOSS BY INSULATION AND CONTROLLING INFILTRATION. SIMULTANEOUSLY, HEAT GAIN NEEDS TO BE PROMOTED BY ADMITTING AND TRAPPING SOLAR RADIATION WITHIN THE LIVING SPACE.

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TEMRATURE

THE CLIMATE OF LADAKH IS CHARACTERIZED BY GREAT EXTREMES OF HEAT AND CLOD, AND BY EXCEESIVE DRYNESS. WINTER EXPERIENCES EXTREME COLD AN DURING SUMMERS TEMPERATURE EXCEEDS 35 DEGREE C. THERE ARE WIDE VARIATION IN DAY AND NIGHT TEMPERATURE. DURING WINTER THE TEMPERATURE FALLS AS LOW AS -40 DEGREE C IN SOME OF THE LOFTY INHABITED PLACES.

TEMPERATURE
SUMMER
WINTER

MAXIMUM
25 DEGREE C
- 5 DEGREE C

MINIMUM
8 DEGREE C
-20 DEGREE C

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BASIC GUIDLINE
THESE REGIONS EXPERIENCE VERY COLD WINTERS, HENCE, TRAPPING AND USING THE SUNS HEAT WHENEVER IT IS AVAILABLE, IS OF PRIME CONCERN IN BUILDING DESIGN. THE INTERNAL HEAT SHOULD NOT BE LOST BACK TO THE AMBIENT. THE INSULATION OF BUILDING ELEMENTS AND CONTROL OF INFILTRATION HELP IN RETAINING THE HEAT. EXPOSURE TO COLD WINDS SHOULD ALSO BE MINIMIZED.

THE MAIN OBJECTIVES WHILE DESIGNING BUILDINGS IN THESE ZONES ARE:

(A) AVOID HEAT LOSS BY: (A) DECREASING THE EXPOSED SURFACE AREA (B) INCREASING THE THERMAL RESISTANCE (C) INCREASING THE THERMAL CAPACITY (D) INCREASING THE BUFFER SPACES (E) DECREASING THE AIR EXCHANGE RATE

(B) PROMOTE HEAT GAIN BY:

(A) AVOIDING EXCESSIVE SHADING (B) UTILISING THE HEAT FROM APPLIANCES (C) TRAPPING THE HEAT OF THE SUN.

COLD & SUNNY CLIMATE

THE GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REGIONS WITH A COLD AND CLOUDY, OR COLD AND SUNNY CLIMATE ARE GIVEN BELOW.

(1) SITE
(a) LANDFORM: (b) IN COLD CLIMATES, HEAT GAIN IS DESIRABLE. HENCE, BUILDINGS SHOULD BE LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SLOPE OF A HILL OR MOUNTAIN FOR BETTER ACCESS TO SOLAR RADIATION . AT THE SAME TIME, THE EXPOSURE TO COLD WINDS CAN BE MINIMISED BY LOCATING THE BUILDING ON THE LEEWARD SIDE. PARTS OF THE SITE WHICH OFFER NATURAL WIND BARRIER CAN BE CHOSEN FOR CONSTRUCTING A BUILDING. (B) OPEN SPACES AND BUILT FORMS: BUILDINGS IN COLD CLIMATES SHOULD BE CLUSTERED TOGETHER TO MINIMISE EXPOSURE TO COLD WINDS OPEN SPACES MUST BE SUCH THAT THEY ALLOW MAXIMUM SOUTH SUN. THEY SHOULD BE TREATED WITH A HARD AND REFLECTIVE SURFACE SO THAT THEY REFLECT SOLAR RADIATION ONTO THE BUILDING (C) STREET WIDTH AND ORIENTATION: IN COLD CLIMATES, THE STREET ORIENTATION SHOULD BE EAST-WEST TO ALLOW FOR MAXIMUM SOUTH SUN TO ENTER THE BUILDING. THE STREET SHOULD BE WIDE ENOUGH TO ENSURE THAT THE BUILDINGS ON ONE SIDE DO NOT SHADE THOSE ON THE OTHER SIDE (I.E. SOLAR ACCESS SHOULD BE ENSURED)

COLD & SUNNY CLIMATE

IN THE COLD ZONES, THE BUILDINGS MUST BE COMPACT WITH SMALL S/V RATIOS THIS IS BECAUSE THE LESSER THE SURFACE AREA, THE LOWER IS THE HEAT LOSS FROM THE BUILDING. WINDOWS SHOULD PREFERABLY FACE SOUTH TO ENCOURAGE DIRECT GAIN. THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING SHOULD BE WELLINSULATED. LIVING AREAS CAN BE LOCATED ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE WHILE UTILITY AREAS SUCH AS STORES CAN BE ON THE NORTHERN SIDE. AIR-LOCK LOBBIES AT THE ENTRANCE AND EXIT POINTS OF THE BUILDING REDUCE HEAT LOSS. THE HEAT GENERATED BY APPLIANCES IN ROOMS SUCH AS KITCHENS MAY BE RECYCLED TO HEAT THE OTHER PARTS OF THE BUILDING. (3) BUILDING ENVELOPE (a) ROOF: FALSE CEILINGS ARE A REGULAR ROOF FEATURE OF HOUSES IN COLD CLIMATES. ONE CAN ALSO USE INTERNAL INSULATION SUCH AS POLYURETHANE FOAM (PUF), THERMOCOL, WOOD WOOL, ETC. AN ALUMINIUM FOIL IS GENERALLY USED BETWEEN THE INSULATION LAYER AND THE ROOF TO REDUCE HEAT LOSS TO THE EXTERIOR. A SUFFICIENTLY SLOPING ROOF ENABLES QUICK DRAINAGE OF RAIN WATER AND SNOW. A SOLAR AIR COLLECTOR CAN BE INCORPORATED ON THE SOUTH FACING SLOPE OF THE ROOF AND HOT AIR FROM IT CAN BE USED FOR SPACE HEATING PURPOSES. SKYLIGHTS ON THE ROOFS ADMIT HEAT AS WELL AS LIGHT IN WINTERS). THE SKYLIGHTS CAN BE PROVIDED WITH SHUTTERS TO AVOID OVER HEATING IN SUMMERS.

COLD & SUNNY CLIMATE

(B) WALLS: WALLS SHOULD BE OF LOW U-VALUE TO RESIST HEAT LOSS. THE SOUTH-FACING WALLS (EXPOSED TO SOLAR RADIATION) COULD BE OF HIGH THERMAL CAPACITY (SUCH AS TROMBE WALL) TO STORE DAY TIME HEAT FOR LATER USE. THE WALLS SHOULD ALSO BE INSULATED. THE INSULATION SHOULD HAVE SUFFICIENT VAPOUR BARRIER (SUCH AS TWO COATS OF BITUMEN, 300 TO 600 GAUGE POLYETHYLENE SHEET OR ALUMINIUM FOIL) ON THE WARM SIDE TO AVOID CONDENSATION. HOLLOW AND LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE BLOCKS ARE ALSO QUITE SUITABLE ON THE WINDWARD OR NORTH SIDE, A CAVITY WALL TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION MAY BE ADOPTED. (C) FENESTRATION: IT IS ADVISABLE TO HAVE THE MAXIMUM WINDOW AREA ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE BUILDING TO FACILITATE DIRECT HEAT GAIN. THEY SHOULD BE SEALED AND PREFERABLY DOUBLE GLAZED. DOUBLE GLAZING HELPS TO AVOID HEAT LOSSES DURING WINTER NIGHTS. HOWEVER, CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PREVENT CONDENSATION IN THE AIR SPACE BETWEEN THE PANES. MOVABLE SHADES SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO PREVENT OVERHEATING IN SUMMERS. (D)COLOUR AND TEXTURE: THE EXTERNAL SURFACES OF THE WALLS SHOULD BE DARK IN COLOUR FOR HIGH ABSORPTIVITY TO FACILITATE HEAT GAINS

COLD & SUNNY CLIMATE

BUILDING ORIENTATION, WIND DIRECTION AND SUN MOVEMENT

Building direction should be East to West to gain maximum sunlight & heat from South direction.

Sun is at higher altitude in summers season, and at low altitude in winter season.

The day breeze or southerly wind always began to blow before midday, the continued rising and veering towards the west, frequent strong gusts until 3 or 4 O clock in the afternoon, when it reached its greatest force & remained stead for some time.

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SOLAR PANEL

SOLAR PANELS ARE USED TO HEAT THE WATER AS WELL AS WALL

COLD & SUNNY CLIMATE

SOLAR PANEL AND TROMBE WALL

The solar radiation heats the outside of the solar wall. The heat slowly passes through the massive wall, and arrives at the inside surface of the wall several hours later to provide heat in the evening. The glazed covering on the outside of the wall reduces heat loss, and allows more heat transfer to the inside space

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ORIENTATION

ORIENTATION OF THE BUILDING ON SOUTH SLOPE OF HILL MOUNTAIN AND FOR BETTER ACCESS SOLAR RADIATION

BUILDING IS PLACED ON THE LEEWARD SIDE

COLD & SUNNY CLIMATE

SLOPING ROOF
SOLAR RADIATION ON SURFACES NORMAL (TAPER) TO SUN RAYS IS HIGHER THAN HORIZONTAL SURFACE

COLD & SUNNY CLIMATE

SKY LIGHT AND LIGHT COLOUR MATERIAL
ROOF WITH THE SKY LIGHT HEATED INTERIOR LIGHT COLOUR SMOOTH PAVING REFLECTS LIGHT AND HEAT