Performance evaluation of five customized model houses in Japan by annual measurements: Improving the performance of air-based solar system in detached houses via maximum utilization of available solar energy, Part 1

In this paper, we planned five model houses with air-based solar system for each climate zone defined by Japanese energy-saving standard and later evaluate their annual performances by measurement. To improve the thermal comfort and reduce energy use, the insulation level was raised beyond the Japanese energy-standard levels. In addition, we adopted some energy-saving techniques e.g. using bottled water as heat storage medium. The annual measurements showed excellent improvements in the energy-saving performance of each house compared with the energy-saving standard model in Japan.