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Documents posted have been developed with the finance assistance of The Netherlands Directorate for International Cooperation (DGIS) who financed the programmes and projects, or financed my posting with the respective local development organisations.

Content or sections can be used  with proper reference to their source.

Note: Options presented in these documents require social and/or technological adjustments and cannot be simply transferred to other cultural or socio-economic settings.

Thermal insulation is important for high altitude areas such as in the Himalayas. New thermal insulation methods have been developed for traditional and rural houses in high altitudes.


Research Report on the Roof Hatch Window since 1998 till 2000, 1.3 MB, 20 pages., with a description of the process of development of this product.

Since 2000, new materials have become available in the market. New insulation designs are now available, suitable for low-income people in remote areas. 



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Household in Ghizer, Pakistan. Thermal insulation is the number one factor in reducing firewood consumption and increasing comfort. Only after that, better stoves should be attended to.

Solar Radiation provides lots of energy. To keep a building cool shading is required. To use the sun for warming up buildings house also the solar angles are required. 

Sun Protection Solar by UNESCO architects Pierre Bussat & Jørgen Sønderberg, ASCATEP. english-french-arabic: 145 pages. 7.1 MB   

Only english version: 30 pages 6.5 MB   with sepatare solar angle bages below 2MB each.  

4º North lat.: shadow angles 22 June & 22 Dec.

6º North lat.: shadow angles 22 June & 22 Dec.

8º North lat.: shadow angles 22 June & 22 Dec.

10º North lat.: shadow angles 22 June & 22 Dec.

12º North lat.: shadow angles 22 June & 22 Dec.

14º North lat.: shadow angles 22 June & 22 Dec.

16º North lat.: shadow angles 22 June & 22 Dec.

18º North lat.: shadow angles 22 June & 22 Dec.

20º North lat.: shadow angles 22 June & 22 Dec.

22º North lat.: shadow angles 22 June & 22 Dec.

24º North lat.: shadow angles 22 June & 22 Dec.

26º North lat.: shadow angles 22 June & 22 Dec.

28º North lat.: shadow angles 22 June & 22 Dec.

30º North lat.: shadow angles 22 June & 22 Dec.

32º North lat.: shadow angles 22 June & 22 Dec.

34º North lat.: shadow angles 22 June & 22 Dec.

36º North lat.: shadow angles 22 June & 22 Dec.

Asoleamiento para la region del Ecuador. Paginas con los angulos criticos solares.        

2º N: angulos 22 Junio, Marzo/Sept., Diciembre.

0º N: angulos 22 Junio, Marzo/Sept., Diciembre.

2º S: angulos 22 Junio, Marzo/Sept., Diciembre.

4º S: angulos 22 Junio, Marzo/Sept., Diciembre.

6º S: angulos 22 Junio, Marzo/Sept., Diciembre.

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In high mountain areas such as in the Himalayas, the proper use of solar light for space heating in combination with thermal insulation saves massive amounts of firewood and other energy.
Designing the glass window frames in such a way that they can be easily cleaned on both sides and keeping the glass windows clean, allows good solar energy intake to warm up the house.