|
|
The idea of
using the sun to meet the energy needs in our buildings has
been with us since the time of the Greeks, with some of the
design manifestations even evident in the prehistoric
structures of Arizona and the Southwest. There is a great
historic tradition for Arizona buildings that utilize our most
abundant resource, and the current increases in environmental
concerns, coupled with diminishing resources and costly energy
place even greater emphasis upon solar and renewable energies
as an important part of Arizona's energy mix.
|
Solar utilization has a long
history, beginning with some of the earliest structures in which
humans lived. The early inhabitants of what we now call Arizona
probably did not think of their homes as passively heated and
cooled. They built them in response to the climate, to social and
cultural standards and to their need for adequate shelter. They did
not have available to them abundant energy resources or mechanical
devices for moderating the indoor climate of their homes. So they
used what was available - the sun, wind, caves, fire and available
materials such as branches and sticks, and mud and stone. If
necessary, they built several dwellings, including one for summer
and one for winter.
Some of the earliest buildings
in Arizona which took advantage of the sun were the cliff dwellings
which, in many cases, faced south. While archeology shows that many
cliff dwellings built during the same period and later, did not face
south, those with the correct orientation provided a better level of
potential comfort than those that did not orient to the south. Thus
the low winter sun could enter and heat the people directly as well
as heat the mud and stone walls of the apartments which remained
warm in the cool nights, and during the summers, the cave roof
shaded the dwelling from the direct rays of the sun keeping both
people and structures cool.
Early desert dwellings included
pit houses semi nestled into the earth with earthen berms which took
advantage of the coolness and thermal stability of the earth;
ramadas - outdoor, shaded work structures (cooking, etc.) which
allowed breezes to blow through. Subsequently, multi-family
dwellings called pueblos also incorporated ramadas. These two types
of structures gave the inhabitants a choice between using the high
mass adobe structure as a shelter from extreme heat and cold, or the
low mass shelter (ramada) when it was comfortable outside. The
ramada was also often used as an outdoor kitchen to keep the house
from getting too smoky or warm.
|
