Sunheated

Sunheated refers to any object or space that is warmed primarily by solar radiation rather than by a conventional energy source. In practice, sunheated surfaces absorb sunlight, converting part of the light energy into heat. The degree of heating depends on factors such as surface color, orientation, and the presence of heat storage.

Materials with high solar absorptivity and low reflectivity, such as dark, matte surfaces, absorb more energy. Warmth is stored in the material's thermal mass or transferred to the surrounding air via convection. In buildings, glazing, insulation, and controlled shading influence sunheated performance, often within the broader framework of passive solar design.

Applications include sunheated buildings or zones designed to capture daytime warmth, solar water heating systems that circulate fluid through collectors, solar ovens for cooking, and sunheated swimming pools or troughs. In climates with strong sun, sunheating can reduce dependence on fossil fuels and lower operating costs.

Limitations include the variability of solar input due to time of day, weather, and seasons. Effective sunheating often requires storage or supplementary heating, temperature control to avoid overheating, and architectural design that balances heat gain with cooling needs.

See also: passive solar design, solar thermal energy, solar collectors, solar air heating.