Solar Sunspace Design

Students of the ARC3964 Issues in Sustainability class recently completed a fun and informative project. The project involved designing and building a model solar sunspace. The sunspace, which aimed to collect solar heat and retain as much of it as possible, was tested on a crisp but sunny March day in BAU's Besiktas North Campus.

While the outside temperature was only 16° C, some of the solar sunspaces reached temperatures in excess of 100° C. Students used extremely creative solutions, including mirrors, lenses and various insulation materials.

Students used their findings to elaborate on which factors contribute to the heat retaining capabilities of solar sunspaces.