[Greenbuilding] Passive solar in hot, humid climate

[Bruce Donelson]

>
> I've thought about putting an 8 foot deep porch along the entire
> south wall.  Yes, this will prevent much direct gain in the
> winter, but I'm wondering if it would be worth it to keep cool
> in late summer / early fall (and spring sometimes).  I've only
> found a couple of references that recommend this approach, but
> before air conditioning it was a common feature of the local
> architecture.  So does it make sense to block all direct gain
> when it's hot at the expense of some winter heating (which is
> really only needed for about two months around here)?
>
> Please share your thoughts and experiences.
>
> Thanks,
>     - Ian.
>
>
I suppose you would have to evaluate how much cooling energy the porch would
save. Probably very little during the hottest months, more during early
spring and late fall. Are you still in cooling mode now?

Bruce