Attached sunspace/conservatory

This has become a popular feature in both new
housing and as an addition to existing homes.
It can function as an extension of living space,
asolar heat store, a preheater for ventilation
 air or simply an adjunct greenhouse for plants
 (Figure 1).

On balance it is considered that conservatories are a net contributor to global warming since they are often heated. Ideally the sunspace should be capable of being isolated from the main building to reduce heat loss in winter and excessive gain in summer.
The area of glazing in the sunspace should be 20–30 per cent of the area of the room to which it is attached. The most adventurous sunspace so far encountered is in the Hockerton housing development which will feature later .
Ideally the summer heat gain should be used to charge a seasonal thermal storage element to provide background warmth in winter.
At the very least, air flow paths between the conservatory and the main building should be carefully controlled.