Correct orientation of your home and the site allows you to maximize sunshine when it is needed for warmth, and to exclude the sun’s heat when it is not needed.
Orientation
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. The sun is higher in the summer sky and lower in the winter sky, and predominantly in the northern sky.
Correct orientation of your home and the site allows you to maximize sunshine when it is needed for warmth, and to exclude the sun’s heat when it is not needed.
Orientation of the main living areas towards the north most easily allows you to control the sun’s rays for heating internal spaces in winter and to exclude direct hot summer sun.
A well designed house ideally should be elongated to open towards the north. As a result, there is less building exposed to the low angle hot morning and afternoon summer sun on the shorter eastern and western sides of the house. The high angle summer sun is also easier to control with appropriate eaves overhang along the northern side providing shade to the northern living areas in summer. The longer northern side of the house benefits from the low angle winter sun. Allowing this sun to penetrate below the eaves and into the living areas will warm these spaces in winter.
To use the sun and local climate to your best advantage read more about Passive Solar Heating and Passive Cooling Pages.