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Unbuilt, untested, performance unknown: Libbey-Owens-Ford and "Your Solar House"

  • Wentworth Institute of Technology

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Libbey-Owens-Ford, as one the first developers of a sealed, double-glazed window, was engaged in the development of a 'passive solar house' design program. The result of this design program was the publication of the book Your Solar House, by Libbey-Owens-Ford and Simon & Schuster. This research is an effort to help in the process of understanding how this series of experimental building designs would have performed had they been built. This paper discusses the design inspiration and intent behind the publication of the book titled Your Solar House, in 1947. Using contemporary methods for the design and analysis of passive solar buildings, one of the houses is tested for its performance characteristics. This paper demonstrates that the predictive models of performance for solar homes designed in the post 1970's era are not applicable to buildings designed in the pre 1970's era. Using the house designed by Louis Kahn and Oscar Stonorov (for the state of Pennsylvania) as a case example, the performance criteria by which most contemporary buildings are designed are applied and the house is evaluated relative to these criteria.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAmerican Solar Energy Society - Solar 2006
Subtitle of host publication35th ASES Annual Conf., 31st ASES National Passive Solar Conf., 1st ASES Policy and Marketing Conf., ASME Solar Energy Division Int. Solar Energy Conference
Pages515-520
Number of pages6
StatePublished - 2006
EventSolar 2006: Renewable Energy - Key to Climate Recovery, Including 35th ASES Annual Conference, 31st ASES National Passive Solar Conference, 1st ASES Policy and Marketing Conference and ASME Solar Energy Division International Solar Energy Conference - Denver, CO, United States
Duration: Jul 9 2006Jul 13 2006

Publication series

NameAmerican Solar Energy Society - Solar 2006: 35th ASES Annual Conf., 31st ASES National Passive Solar Conf., 1st ASES Policy and Marketing Conf., ASME Solar Energy Division Int. Solar Energy Conference
Volume2

Conference

ConferenceSolar 2006: Renewable Energy - Key to Climate Recovery, Including 35th ASES Annual Conference, 31st ASES National Passive Solar Conference, 1st ASES Policy and Marketing Conference and ASME Solar Energy Division International Solar Energy Conference
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityDenver, CO
Period07/9/0607/13/06

Keywords

  • Building envelope design
  • Historic buildings
  • Low energy buildings
  • Passive solar systems

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