Adobe 107 “Passive Solar Heating”
Institution: Northern New Mexico College – El Rito Campus
Course Title: Adobe 107 “Passive Solar Heating” (Blackboard/Internet)
Degree: This class can be applied to NNMC’s Certificate in Adobe Construction.
Instructor: Kurt Gardella
Credits: 2
Dates and Registration: see www.adobecollege.com
This 8-week internet class covers the fundamentals of designing a passive solar adobe structure for maximum use of the sun in heating and cooling.
Theoretical topics include: a brief history of passive solar heating, an intro to the 3 major passive systems (direct gain, Trombe wall and greenhouse), information on site planning and layout for optimum solar gain, info on system sizing and glazing needed, info on thermal storage of heat using adobe, info on passive cooling, info on backup heating practices, info on key insulation techniques, info on heat gain and loss calculations, info on floor plan design and modeling.
Step-by-step hands-on video demos include: drawing a passive solar floor plan, finding true south, calculating heat gain and heat loss, calculating window shading, filling out the NM Energy Trade Off sheets.
The course also provides you with podcast interviews on the above topics with our department chair Quentin Wilson. An online discussion group for interacting with the instructor and fellow students also accompanies the course.