armadilha solar: jee eco efficient window

‘jee’ by armadilha solar all images courtesy armadilha solar

portugal-based architecture and consultancy office armadilha solar has designed ‘jee’, an eco-efficient window system that aims to naturally optimize building conditions by taking advantage of solar energy, light, ventilation and acoustics as they occur between the inside/outside environments. already in its prototyping and monitoring stage, the product, when compared to a typical window, increases a building’s energy performance by 30% and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 40%.

components

the design consists of two systems that work together to maximize the microclimate of the building: the ‘span system’, which is essentially the exterior glass window/door, controls the amount of daylight, ventilation and acoustics the interior experiences; the ‘thermal system’, placed along the vertical side of the span, functions as a sun-space, solar radiation heat collector, and an electrical heat backup system during the night.

(left) magic arrow diagram (right) thermal reading

render of application

winter (left) day: greenhouse effect (right) night: radiative heat and convection

on a regular sunny winter day, the isolation door over the thermal modules opens to collect solar energy. a mirrored slide tracks the path of the sun throughout the day, maximizing on the solar heat gain. the sun space also directly warms the interior room by taking advantage of the green house effect created in its cylinder. solar heat can be stored in the energy accumulators and released during dawn when the temperature starts to fall. the system can be closed and completely insulated during the night.

summer (left) day: thermosiphon effect (right) night: night cross ventilation

on a regular summer day, the isolation door is closed, blocking the thermal modules from gaining any solar heat. the tubular sun space acts as a thermosiphon, sucking excessive heat gains from the inside to the exterior through an opening near the room’s ceiling. at night, the system remains open to allow for cross ventilation.

daylighting is optimized by polished aluminum venetian blinds which reflect the sun into the room.

prototype and monitoring