What is a solar room?

The solar was a room in many English and French medieval manor houses, great houses and castles, mostly on an upper storey, designed as the family's private living and sleeping quarters. Within castles they are often called the "Lords' and Ladies' Chamber" or the "Great Chamber".

Can a sunspace be used as a heater?

If its primary function will be heating, a sunspace with sloped glazing, few plants, little thermal mass, and insulated, unglazed end walls will get very hot on sunny winter days. In practice, sunspaces are rarely built to serve only as heaters, because there are less expensive ways to provide solar heat.

Can a sunspace be used as a greenhouse?

In practice, sunspaces are rarely built to serve only as heaters, because there are less expensive ways to provide solar heat. If the space will be a greenhouse, plants need fresh air, water, lots of light, and protection from extreme temperatures. Greenhouses consume

Where can a sunspace vent be operated?

Operable vents at the top of the sunspace where temperatures are the highest and at the bottom where temperatures are the lowest can circulate warm air into the house. They can be operated manually or with thermostatically controlled motors that open and close them automatically.

Does a sunspace need a glazed sidewall?

Plants require overhead glazing, which complicates construction and maintenance, and glazed sidewalls, which are net heat losers. The bottom line is that a sunspace designed as an ideal horticultural environment is unlikely to have much energy left over for supplementary space heating.

Should you use a sunspace as a year-round living area?

Most people want to use the sunspace as a year-round living area, in which case it should have minimum glare, only moderate humidity, and comfortable temperatures. Carefully sized thermal mass and energy-efficient windows that are well-shaded in the summer will improve comfort by stabilizing temperature extremes.