DIY Heating Site Orientation> Passive solar designed homes can be low tech and need not cost any more than standard construction. Once the correct principles are embodied in a house, little ongoing effort is required to achieve thermal comfort all year round.
The passive solar home needs to be considered as a whole building envelope package, with all factors such as the site’s microclimate,
orientaion
, landscaping, external shading and shelter, internal planning, placement and size of windows,
insulation,
and building form and thermal storage integrated. Careful design can maximize the use of the site’s potential. Failing to attend to one area may compromise the comfort and energy efficiency of the whole design.
The house should be located and orientated so that winter sun is unobstructed but exterior shading restricts the summer sun. Obstacles to the south of the solar home, such as other buildings, fences or evergreen trees should be located away from the solar house by twice the height of the obstacle to prevent shading of valuable winter sun. It is often desirable to locate deciduous trees closer to help prevent summer overheating. Sites with hills or a slope rising to the south will not receive as much solar heat, but will still benefit from other solar design principles such as increased insulation levels.
The wind patterns of the region and the microclimate specific to the site should be examined. Cold winds can be buffered or deflected by strategic positioning of dense trees to unoccupied structures such as garages. Similar devices can be used to deflect hot summer winds, while cooling summer breezes should be funneled through the house with landscaping features and buildings form. Also low inlets and high outlets on the house will assist natural ventilation.
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