F.A.Q.

English   Question: What are the passive heating concepts? There are some passive solar heating approaches: direct gain, collector storage walls and sunspace. The common features are means of absorbing solar energy in the building, storing it in parts of the structure and transferring it to the space to be heated. Direct gain of energy through windows can meet part of building heat loads. The windows acts as a collector and the building itself provides some storage. Overhangs, wingwalls are used to shade the windows when heating is not necessary. Direct gain can provide energy to the south side of the buildings. Collector storage wall has the function of collection and storage. It is a south wall with glass and a mass finished in black for absorbing radiation. Heat absorbed is transferred from the storage wall to the room by radiation and convection. This system is called Trombe wall. Sunspace is a glazed space of the south side of the building  Sunspace is used as solar collector, with storage in walls, floors or pebble beds. Forced air circulation to the rooms is an option to improve storage and utilization of absorbed energy. Greenhouse structures are sunspaces   Question: What are the Passive Solar Heating Fundamentals? Passive solar heating involves: - collection of solar energy through oriented walls and south facing windows. The collection subsystem may include windows, skylights, or some other type of solar aperture. The purpose of the collection subsystem is to allow sunlight into the building to heat the space and to eat the storage mass. - storage of this energy in thermal mass walls that are materials with high capacity such as concrete slabs, brick walls , etc. The storage subsystem usually includes parts of the floor or interior walls of the building. The purpose of the storage subsystem is to store the collected solar heat until it is need by the occupants in the building. Normally heat is collected during daytime and used at night. -  natural distribution of the stored solar energy back to the living space, when was required through the mechanisms of natural convection and radiation. Heat is radiated from the storage subsystem into the rooms being heated. Heat is convected through the air, warming it, and thereby warming the people in the room. - control of the passive heating systems. It is achieved through the use of shading devices or some other means to regulate the sunlight entering into the building. Also buildings need thermostats to control fans and motors to regulate the air flow   Question: What are the principles of the Bioclimatic Architecture? The bioclimatic design takes into account the local climate and the environment and includes the following principles: - Takes into account the climate (wind direction, temperature, humidity, etc) for orientation and to know the energy interchanged. - Heat protection of the buildings in winter as well as in summer, using appropriate techniques of insulation. - Use of solar energy for heating buildings in the winter season and for day lighting all year round. This is achieved by * the appropriate orientation of the buildings and especially their openings * solar thermal collectors * photovoltaic (PV) collectors * windows * sunspaces -  Removal of the heat which is accumulated in the building in summer to the surrounding by natural means, such as natural ventilation, mostly during nighttimes. - Improvement of the microclimate around buildings, through the bioclimatic design of exterior spaces   Question: What are the renewable energy sources? Renewable energy (sources) or RES capture their energy from existing flows of energy, from on-going natural processes, such as sunshine, wind, flowing water, biological processes, and geothermal heat flows. The most common definition is that the renewable energy is from an energy resource that is replaced rapidly by a natural process such as power generated from the sun or from the wind. Renewable Energies are: solar energy, wind energy, hydraulic energy, geothermal energy, tidal power and biomass. In the case of biomass, we can consider it as an energy source unless the time to regenerate it is compatible with its usage time. RES are “clean” energies, reduce considerably CO2 emissions and are environmental friendly   Question: What is the Bioclimatic Architecture? Bioclimatic architectural design is a way of addressing the problems of contemporary society concerning planning and development, and preservation of the natural environment. This sustainable development oriented approach, optimises inhabitant comfort while at the same time minimising a building's impact on the environment. The bioclimatic architecture takes in consideration the local climate and the environmental conditions to achieve a thermal comfort inside the buildings. The building accomplishes collection, storage and distribution of the energy. The Bioclimatic design integrates material selection and uses renewable energy resources from the sun, wind, water, etc for heating, cooling and lighting the building and it is used to maximize solar gains in winter and minimize them in summer to reduce heating and cooling loads. The elements of the building (floors, walls) may be constructed to have high heat capacity to store thermal energy and reduce temperature variation and insulation may be used to control losses (and gains) from windows or other architectural elements in the build   Question: What kind of output can I get from a RES plant? Renewable energy sources plants can produce both thermal energy and electricity. Below you can find a table describing the outputs from each renewable energy source with a specific plant.            Type of Plant: Solar thermal - Output: Hot water, Heating Type of Plant: Photovoltaic - Output: Electricity Type of Plant: Biomass - Output: Heating Type of Plant: Geothermal - Output: Heating and cooling Type of Plant: Wind - Output: Electricity and mechanical energy Type of Plant: Tidal - Output: Electricity   Question: Which are the most common forms of energies RES? Most renewable forms of energy, other than geothermal and tidal power, ultimately come from the sun. Some forms are stored solar energy such as rainfall and wind power which are considered short-term solar-energy storage, whereas the energy in biomass is accumulated over a period of months,as in straw, or through many years in wood. Capturing renewable energy by plants, animals, and humans does not permanently deplete the resource. Fossil fuels, while theoretically renewable on a very long time-scale, are exploited at rates that may deplete these resources in the near future.   Question: Which are their most common forms of use? Renewable energy resources may be used directly, or used to create other more convenient forms of energy. Examples of direct use are "solar ovens", geothermal heating, and water and windmills. Examples of indirect use which require energy harvesting are electricity generation through wind turbines or photovoltaic cells ( PV cells), or production of fuels such as ethanol from biomass. ( e.g. alcohol used as  fuel).  Español   Question: ¿Dónde se encuentra el combustible para calderas domesticas? Hay disponibles bolsas y sacos de pelets en hipermercados, gasolineras y grandes cadenas de bricolaje. Dependiendo del consumo se puede contactar con distribuidores a domicilio por si pudiera compensar este tipo de suministro. Cuando se trata de comunidades de vecinos, el suministro se realiza a través de camiones que pueden ser de tipo cisterna con alimentación neumática al silo del edificio para más comodidad.   Question: ¿Es posible combinar la biomasa con otras energías renovables? Si. Una opción muy interesante en España, dentro del ámbito doméstico, es la combinación de una instalación de solar térmica con una caldera de biomasa para su uso en calefacción y agua caliente sanitaria.   Question: ¿La combustión de la biomasa emite CO2? Su contribución a las emisiones se considera neutra porque el CO2 emitido ha sido captado de la atmósfera previamente por las plantas y tienen que volver a captarse por las plantas si se quiere seguir utilizando biomasa.   Question: ¿Los residuos se queman según son extraídos y transportados a la planta? Dependiendo del tipo de residuo puede necesitarse algún tratamiento previo en el mismo lugar de extracción, en una planta intermedia de acondicionamiento o en las instalaciones de la central de biomasa. Estos tratamientos son el secado natural o forzado, la trituración (astillado), la homogenización (molturación) y la densificación (peletización o briquetado).   Question: ¿Puede una caldera doméstica de biomasas calentar toda la casa y suministrar agua caliente sanitaria (ACS)? Si. Existen distintos dispositivos, desde estufas que calientan una habitación, hasta calderas que suministran calor a cualquier sistema de calefacción (desde suelo radiante a radiadores) y producen ACS. Estás últimas también se fabrican en tamaños mayores para calentar bloques de viviendas y otros edificios.   Question: ¿Se puede quemar cualquier residuo forestal, agrícola o de la industria de ambas en cualquier caldera? Aunque en muchos países de Europa se utilizan calderas específicas que sólo pueden utilizar algunos biocombustibles sólidos muy concretos, en España dada la heterogeneidad de los recursos de la biomasa se buscan calderas que puedan utilizar la mayoría de los biocombustibles sólidos disponibles. El uso final de la energía (térmica o eléctrica) no influye en la elección del tipo de biocombustible aunque su precio puede ser un limitante, especialmente para usos eléctricos.