I started a thread over in the Floor coverings section
https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.p ... highlight=
but the turn it has taken boils down to what seems to me to be a fundamental flaw in passive solar principles.
The flaw is as follows.
Passive solar demands thermal storage. In conventionally constructed homes, the only thermal storage is the slab. And to thermally couple that to the house and the sun you need to use thermally conductive floor coverings. And thermally conductive floor coverings feel uncomfortably cold underfoot.
You could also raise the same issue with other thermal storage. For example, a wall in your living area. In the mornings, before the sun starts warming it up, this will be cold and will be sucking heat out the room and its occupants by convection and net radiative flow.
I must admit, i'm finding hard to swallow the claim that I have to put up with cold feet if I want to have a warm house!
Comments?