One of the first ways solar energy was used in agriculture was to modify climatic extremes in cold livestock housing by using passive techniques. Passive techniques are extremely cost effective because they generally add little or nothing to the cost of the structure. This guide has information on designing and locating a building to make the best use of the sun and also on storing energy in such passive systems. Building design and location Over the years, extensive research has given us the ability to tell exactly where the sun is located at any instant on any day of the year with both graphical and mathematical expressions. By using this information, you can design and locate a building to maximize solar effects in winter and to minimize them in summer.
Seasons affect the solar angle for shade and penetration.
The general recommendation for locating this type of building is to orient the long dimension of the building's ridge east-west with the open side facing south. The relatively longer south wall is open to direct radiation from the winter sun, which is low in the sky. At the same time, the shading effects of overhangs can reduce the penetration of the summer sun, which is high in the sky. You can calculate solar penetration and shading effect for different buildings. Vertical elevation of the sun in degrees at the time being considered.