Solar Room Case

What is a solar room?

The solar was a room in many English and French medieval manor houses, great houses and castles, mostly on an upper storey, designed as the family's private living and sleeping quarters. Within castles they are often called the "Lords' and Ladies' Chamber" or the "Great Chamber".

What is an example of a solar room?

Examples of solar rooms include greenhouses, solariums, and sun porches. Greenhouses are the most common solar rooms. Conventional greenhouses, however, are not designed to take maximum advantage of the sun's energy.

Can a solar room heat a house?

The excess warmth from such a "solar room" can heat the house immediately, or if mass is added, heat can be stored for later use after the sun sets. Almost always, the solar room is warmer than the outdoor temperature, thus reducing heat loss from the building where the room is attached.

How does a solar room work?

Many of the most successful solar rooms are separated from the house by a heavy wall that stores the heat. The wall, built of concrete, stone, brick, or adobe, conducts heat (slowly) into the house. At the same time, the wall keeps the solar room cooler during the day and warmer at night.

Are solar rooms expensive?

Solar rooms can be relatively simple to build, yet they can be very expensive if they are of the same quality and durability as the rest of your house. For example, with a few hundred dollars worth of materials, you can build a simple, wood-framed addition to your house to support thin-film plastics.

What are the most common solar rooms?

Greenhouses are the most common solar rooms. Conventional greenhouses, however, are not designed to take maximum advantage of the sun's energy. The problem is that most are built with a single layer of glass, and so they lose more heat at night than they gain from the sun during the day.