An innovative concept of Trombe Wall for yearly use in residential buildings

In the building sector, responsible for a huge amount of primary energy demand, research is actively investigating innovative envelope configurations to limit thermal exchanges with the outdoor environment, provide thermal comfort to the occupants and exploit renewable energy sources. Passive solutions are being rediscovered since they allow rational use of solar radiation and produce energy savings. Trombe walls are an interesting solution that, although initially conceived for sole winter heating, if properly managed, can be used also in a Mediterranean climate where the is the risk of summer overheating. This study presents an innovative configuration of a modular Trombe wall for a residential application that can be easily integrated into existing buildings or new constructions providing benefits in both the winter and summer seasons. Simulations with DesignBuilder were performed for a residential building to evaluate the energy savings in a hot Mediterranean climate. Proper ventilation strategies applied in the function of climatic parameters were investigated to reduce summer overheating and enhance night ventilation. Results demonstrated the validity of the proposed solution indicating how a well-managed Trombe wall can be regarded as an interesting solution to achieve energy savings in summer and winter