The role of the sun in our lives was already a central concern for the ancient Egyptians, as well as for the Maya, Incas, and Aztecs. Over the past decade, with the rise of global warming, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of utilizing natural resources such as the sun. This shift has impacted, among other things, the work carried out by architects. For this reason, the School of Architecture took the initiative and acquired the Solarpathfinder instrument, with the goal of enabling students to assess the impact the sun will have on any building they design and to better utilize solar panels.
Architect Andrés Eliseo Cabrera, a faculty member, noted that this instrument is very easy to use and requires neither batteries nor electricity to operate. The data collected can even be recorded “by hand,” although for a more comprehensive analysis of the results—including their projection over time—specific software and a computer are necessary.
“The study of solar exposure has never fallen out of use in building design, not even during periods when these issues received less attention,” noted Architect Cabrera. He emphasized the importance of students (future architects) knowing, for example, whether the sun will “enter” through a particular window in an apartment. The professor highlighted the importance of the sun: “The sun ‘drives’ our lives; it makes us go to bed and wake up, and it governs human biochemical cycles and plant tropisms.”
The device consists of a disc with a built-in compass on which the apparent paths of the sun for different latitudes are plotted. The kit acquired by the faculty also allows for measuring sunlight exposure in Brazil, including in the northern part of the country, since the instrument can be used at all latitudes up to 67 or 68 degrees, covering both the tropical and temperate zones.
The primary information provided by the Solarpathfinder relates to when the sun is visible in a given location. Based on the diagrams provided by the device, it is also possible to determine how much energy the sun will produce at a specific time of day and year, which allows for the preliminary sizing of a photovoltaic energy system using panels.
The instrument is also useful for determining how much radiation a new apartment would receive during the winter, with the goal of keeping the heating on for much less time by harnessing the sun’s energy.
The teacher concluded: “This device gives us a tool to explain in a tangible way how reality is reflected in a stereographic projection. It is a fundamental tool for reinforcing the teaching of these topics; it is the student’s gateway to knowledge, to coming into contact with this technology.”
Interview published in August 2011