Solar passive orientation
Using the sun to your advantage when building your home
Since you live in your home throughout the entire year it is important to design it to be a comfortable temperature regardless of the season. Here are some important facts to consider when orientating your house.
The sun is higher in the summer sky and lower in the winter sky
This fact allows us to plan and construct your home so that it captures the heat in Winter and rejects it in Summer. The orientation of the building helps in ensuring the success of this process. To achieve this, homes are built with large areas of upward, tilted and south-facing glass that assists in maximising heat gain during the Winter months and bounces the Sun’s rays in the Summer months.
The Sun rises in the east and sets in the west
The ideal house orientation involves running the main long axis of the building East West - also known as the ridgeline. This can be moved 20° without hindering the processes as long as most of the glass on the building faces towards the sun. It is also useful to take into account the location of landscaping and how it will impact on this process. Ideally, you do not want to block the sunlight. Living area placement is of great importance when considering this technique. The rooms most used should be on the side of the house orientated towards the Sun and the least used rooms on the other side.