An approach to evaluate solar active systems as an architectural design criteria in the context of sustainability

ABSTRACTThe Sustainable Development which predicts changes on our way of lives, also affects thecontents of buildings that are designed to ensure comfort conditions for human activities alsoby protecting natural environment at the same time. The necessity for increase in the usage ofclean energy sources in sustainable buildings; brings new aspects to architectural design.Because of its great potential and free access, solar energy is an important renewable energysource that is used in many different ways in buildings. To improve the effective usage ofsolar active systems in buildings is a considerable issue to maintain nature and get economicbenefits. However, as the solar active systems affect the appearance of buildings by theircollector areas, they also had a responsibility for architecture and city. From this way of view,it is an obligation to consider system and architectural design together in an integratedmanner.The aim of the study is to develop a design approach that evaluates solar active systems as abasic architecture design criterion. In the study, utilization of systems as a part of the buildinghas evaluated in the context of sustainability.The sections of this thesis can be summarized as below.Section 1: The reasons and necessity of the research is explained.Section 2: The concept of sustainable development is investigated in detail and determined toits affects on buildings.Section 3: Solar hot water and Pv systems are investigated in detail to put forth the conditionsfor effectives and to constitute system design schemes.Section 4: the effects of active systems to building appearance are determined by searchingarchitectural aesthetic and building form issues. And also the system application techniquesare searched and the techniques of building integrated solar systems are investigated in detail.Section 5: The effects of building integrated solar system to building design are searched anda design approach has been constituted in the context of sustainability.Section 6: A method has been constituted which aims to form useful building surfaces thathave good solar access and to determine the meeting ratio of the load by the energy gainedfrom useful surfaces.Section 7: The approach has been tested for Ankara climate conditions.Section 8: Conclusions and suggestions have been listed that is fined out from theinvestigations.Key Words: Solar active systems, solar hot water systems, Pv systems, building integratedsolar thermal systems, building integrated Pv systems, solar active integrated systems,efficient building envelope surfaces.