Page 16 RAIN October 1981 . ------ - - - -· - - - - - - -- SOLAR The Hawkweed Passive Solar House Book, by Sydney and Robert Wright, Bob Selby, and Larry Dieckmann, 1980, 192pp., $7.95, from: Rand McNally & Co. P.O. Box7600 Chicago, IL 60680 · I suspect every architect who designs passive solar houses, sooner or later, wants to put out his or her own book. You see, passive solar is so neat, you just wanno go out and convert the heathen, and there are only so many people you can reach by building houses or giving tours of your houses. The time comes when you must write down your credo, and spread the word among the masses: It works! here! now! The Hawkweed Group, based in Chicago, has been designing only solar houses since 1973. They wrote-this book to show that passive solar works in the Midwest, even in severe Minnesota Winters. Coverage of the basics is clear and comprehensive, especially the chapters on climate, although the narrative is somewhat dry compared to most popular solar books. All of the photos are black and white, mostly of Hawkweed-designed buildings. No graphics-besides floor ACCESS plans-or highlighting of major points break the text. Most interesting of the projects designed by the group are the solar municipal buildings for the rebuilt all-solar town of Soldiers Grove (Wis<;onsin), built at costs comparable to conventional buildings. People worried about the costs of their own houses are advised to think small, assess their needs carefully, and consider cutting firewood for the woodstove as an alternative to joining a health club. Read this book if you're tired of seeing New Mexico, Colorado, and California highlighted in solar books. It really is refreshing to see a solar book focused on the Midwest. - TK · Solar Heil.ting Materials Handbook: Environmental and Safety Considerations for Selection, prepared by Sandia National Laboratories, January 1981, $18.00, from: National Technical Information Service U.S. Department of Commerce 5825 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161 For active solar energy systems to be more economic than conventional systems, it is often necessary to project equipment life over 10 or even 15 years. This can be an idiotic exercise if equipment will rust and fall -~~------------~------ ' ,, \ From Passive Solar House Book apart after only 2 years. The solar buyer should narrowrthe choice to 2 or 3 units with pleasing design and good performance, then make the final selection based on a careful study of the durability of materials used in each unit. This analysis should go as far as consideration of nuts, bolts and seals-and special attention should be paid to all components that will come in contact with liquids, since these are parts most likely to corrode if they are of poor quality. It often makes more sense to go to this trouble and pay 10 to 20 percent more for a system if it will end up lasting twice as long. The Solar Heating Materials Handbook is a valuable resource book for people faced with such decisions. Each chapter is very well arranged, making the information easily usable, even by those with no previous experience, while still including all the information yo,u' ~ need to select the right material for the task. Chapter topics include material properties of heat transfer liquids, glazing, insulation, seals and sealants, thermal storage media, and absorber materials. In addi- .tion, a useful introductory chapter outlines the desirable properties of each class of materials-and the failures that can result if the wrong materials are chosen. This chapter is particularly valuable for beginners, but can serve as a useful refresher for even the most seasoned pro. · I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is a serious buyer or designer of solar equipment. -Gail Katz
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz