Single-Family Wooden House That Chases the Sun and Saved Energy

Abstract

For several decades now, the energy problem has been a matter of vital importance, both for the very existence of human beings and for that of our planet. Real solutions are based on energy savings and energy production through renewable energy sources (RES). The building industry, with consumption corresponding to about 40% of global energy needs, is a sector of great interest for which to develop such solutions. This article aims to present a study relating to the actual energy gains that can be obtained from the construction of solar-tracking buildings. The study was conducted by taking into consideration a standard single-family timber building, with a rectangular geometry and a flat roof, and making calculations in correspondence for 21 Italian locations. This article presents the results of the 11 sites that best represent the different climatic conditions present in Italy. Starting from astrophysics and heat transfer studies, it has been demonstrated that the rotation of a building with a speed equal to the apparent speed of the Sun, characterized by appropriate angles of incidence of the rays depending on the different climatic conditions encountered during the year, makes it possible to obtain energy gains of great interest, both in the autumn-winter heating phase and in the spring-summer cooling phase, without compromising the conventional techniques used in the energy-saving sector. In addition, further energy increases are obtained by photovoltaic and solar-thermal systems, located on the roof of the structure.