---
title: "Passive solar design and building layout"
subject: "Building Technology"
chapter: 1
key: "semester_6/building_technology:passive-solar-design"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/building_technology/passive-solar-design
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Passive solar design and building layout

Building Technology · Chapter 1: Functional Requirements of Buildings

- Asked in: 2078 Baisakh, 1+3+4 marks
- Video: [Passive Solar Design Principles](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YylmeMilok8) — Master Builders Victoria
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/building_technology/passive-solar-design
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_6/building_technology/chapter-1

## Question

What do you mean by passive solar design? Explain the importance of passive solar design. Describe the setting layout plan of building with sketch.

## Short answer

Passive solar design uses building form, orientation, and materials to collect, store, and distribute solar energy without mechanical equipment. Importance: reduces heating/cooling energy, provides comfort, low maintenance, cuts pollution. Layout: long axis east-west, south-facing living spaces with glazing, north buffer zones, overhangs for summer shading, adequate spacing for winter sun access, northwest windbreaks.

## Answer

#### Passive solar design
**Passive solar design** is the design of a building so that it collects, stores and distributes solar energy for heating (and rejects it for cooling) by the form, orientation and materials of the building itself, without mechanical equipment.

#### Importance
- Reduces energy for heating, cooling and lighting, and so saves money.
- Gives thermal and visual comfort.
- Has low maintenance and running cost, with no moving parts.
- Reduces use of fossil fuel, firewood and pollution; useful in Nepal's cold hills and mountains.
- Increases building life and value, and gives more daylight.

#### Setting layout plan of building
1. Place the building with its long axis east-west, so the long face looks south (within 15° of south).
2. Put living and working rooms, with large glazing, on the south side. Put stores, toilets, stairs and garages on the north as a buffer.
3. Keep east and west walls with few and small openings.
4. Use overhangs, chhajja, or deciduous trees on the south side to give shade in summer and let the low winter sun in.
5. Keep buildings spaced so that each is not shaded by the next one (sun angle at winter solstice).
6. Plant evergreen trees on the north-west side as wind-break against cold winds.

```text
            N  (stores, toilets)
        +---------------+
   W    | bed |  kitchen|    E
        |---------------|
        | living (glass)|
        +---------------+
            S  sun -> 
          [tree, deciduous]
```

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. Passive solar design collects, stores and distributes solar energy using:
   A. Pumps and fans
   B. The form, orientation and materials of the building without mechanical equipment
   C. Only PV panels
   D. Boilers
   Answer: B. It relies on the building itself. (Key point: Definition)

2. Best axis of a passive solar building is:
   A. North-south, long face east
   B. East-west, long face looking south
   C. Any direction
   D. Diagonal
   Answer: B. Long axis east-west gives a south-facing long face. (Key point: Orientation)

3. Which rooms go on the north side?
   A. Living rooms with large glass
   B. Stores, toilets, stairs and garages as buffer
   C. Bedrooms
   D. Kitchen only
   Answer: B. Service spaces act as a buffer against cold. (Key point: Buffer)

4. Why use deciduous trees on the south?
   A. They shade in summer and let winter sun in
   B. They block wind
   C. They shade all year
   D. They cool the north
   Answer: A. Leaves fall in winter, admitting the low sun. (Key point: Trees)

## Related in Building Technology

- [Active and passive solar control](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fbuilding_technology%3Aactive-passive-solar) — Building Technology, chapter 1
- [Setting out of a building](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fbuilding_technology%3Asetting-out-building) — Building Technology, chapter 2
- [Building shape in plan and elevation](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fbuilding_technology%3Abuilding-shape-plan-elevation) — Building Technology, chapter 11
- [Renewable energy and trapping solar energy](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fbuilding_technology%3Aenergy-renewable-solar-066j) — Building Technology, chapter 1
- [Achieving thermal comfort, active and passive methods](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fbuilding_technology%3Aachieve-thermal-comfort-active-passive) — Building Technology, chapter 1
- [Plan and vertical section of panelled door](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fbuilding_technology%3Apanelled-door-plan-section) — Building Technology, chapter 6

## Related in other subjects

- [Typical job layout of a building project](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Atypical-job-layout-building) — Construction Management, chapter 6, asked 4×
- [Job layout for 1000 sqm public building](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Ajob-layout-public-building-2079) — Construction Management, chapter 6
- [Insertion gain/loss, design steps, active vs passive](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Ffilter_design%3Ainsertion-loss-steps-active-passive) — Filter Design, chapter 1
- [Bell's guide bund plan, sections, design steps](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Firrigation_and_drainage_engineering%3Abells-bund-plan-design-steps) — Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, chapter 6