LEH LADDAKH
COLD AND DRY CLIMATE
PASSIVE SOLAR ARCHITECTURE IN
LADDAKH
Passive Solar Architecture is a way of designing buildings that takes
advantage of the benefits of the local environment (such as sunlight),
while minimising the adverse impacts of the climate (such as cold night
time temperatures) on the comfort level of the building.
Why do we need to heat our homes?
Passive Solar Building Configurations
• Orientation
The aim of a passive solar building is to
absorb (in winter) the maximum amount of
radiation from the sun during the day, and to
utilise this heat to warm the
interior.
As the overall shape of the building
determines the heat exchange with the
exterior, it is also important to minimise the
area / volume ratio so as to limit the heat
loss: compact buildings with several storeys
are more efficient.
The surfaces in the shade, such as the north
wall, or those exposed to severe conditions
must be kept to a minimum. They can be
underground or adjacent to an earth bank.
Passive Solar Concepts
1. Collection and absorption of the maximum amount of solar radiation during the day
2. Storage of the heat collected from the suns radiation during the day
3. Release of this heat into the interior of the building during the night
4. Insulation of the whole building to retain as much of the heat as possible inside the building
In multi-storey buildings, the following design guidelines should be followed:
• The ground floor should be used for cattle and livestock
• The first floor should be used for rooms that are used mainly during the winter
• The second floor should be used for rooms that are used mainly during the summer
For single-storey buildings, the following design guidelines should be followed:
• The north-facing side should be used for storerooms and other little used areas, to create a
buffer zone.
• The south-facing side should contain the most commonly used rooms, including the living room,
the kitchen, and the bedrooms.
• The east-facing side of the building should contain rooms that are used mainly in the morning.
• The west-facing side should contain rooms that are used mainly in the evening.
For individual rooms, where possible, the following design guidelines should be
followed:
• Glaze the south-facing walls
• Reduce as much as possible the window area on the east and west facing walls
• Avoid glazing on the north-facing side.
Shading
Slope
To ensure the window area
is as vertical as possible,
buildings constructed on a
slope should be built in the
following ways:
• If the upward slope is
north-facing: Dig the
building into the northern
part of the earth, so that a
part of the north wall is
underground.
• If the upward slope is
south-facing: Dig the
building into the southern
part of the earth, and
elevate the northern side.
The are two distinct types of material in passive solar building:
• Dense materials (brick, stone), which can conduct and store heat
• Low-density (light weight) materials which do not conduct heat (insulators), but which
also can not store the heat.
In a insulated building, windows are one of the
greatest sources of heat loss.
Direct gain passive solar heating can be 100 %
more effective if:
- single glazing is doubled by using polyethylene
or fitting double glazing made from glass,
- night time insulation is placed in the window
(curtains or blinds).
