ABSTRACT
Thermal design is concerned with the heat transfer processes that take place within a building, and between the building and its surroundings and the external climate. It is primarily concerned with providing comfort and shelter for the building's occupants and contents. Thermal design is closely associated with energy use and carbon dioxide emissions. However, of all the energy inputs to a building it is only the energy from fossil fuel sources that have associated carbon dioxide emissions. There will be free energy from the sun, wind and external temperatures that can be used to heat, cool, light and ventilate the building. Radiation is the transfer of heat between two surfaces without heating the air between them. Solar heat travels by radiation from the sun to the earth through the vacuum of space. Radiant heat is in the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The sun emits radiation with wavelengths between 0.29 and 3.0 mm, which includes the visible spectrum.
