![]() We put it on the roof which is flat and easily accessible. ![]() Placing the weather station for us was easy. Rain collector points to rain catchment volumes for cooling and irrigation. Solar radiation and UV Index relates to solar photovoltaic generation and solar hot water options. Wind Speed/Direction will show us potential for wind power, evaporative cooling, and ventilation. Indoor/Outdoor temperature and humidity will help us see thermal and moisture dynamics. This weather station provides all the features we wanted and at a good price. After scanning dozens of stations with various features and price points, we chose the Davis Vantage Pro2 Plus with 24-Hr Fan Aspirated Radiation Shield. But as tempting as it was to build our own, we went with a pre-built solution. We could build our own station with an Arduino or RaspPi and attach various sensors to them or buy pre-built systems. To monitor the climate, the external forces on the building, we looked at setting up a local weather station. Then we can better determine our options. So where do we start? Turns out we need data about the climate and environment to learn how the building reacts. We had been looking there first being concerned about how to cool the space. The main point they made was that mechanical heating and cooling should be the last resort. One of the books we read is “Sun, Wind, and Light: Architectural Design Strategies” by Mark DeKay and G. It has been a mad dash through absorption chillers, solar concentrators, wind turbines, hydronic radiant cooling, geothermal closed loop heat exchangers, MgO concrete stucco… To better understand where are are going and options for the building, we’ve been researching sustainable architectural ideas. We have a new space, an 82 year old coffee factory, where we’ll be moving our office and be able to expand our shop (aka materials & methods lab).
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