This week at Green-Home-Building.com we are going to examine some more important green home design concepts. Last week we took a look at size requirements and internal green architecture. If you have done so, read that article first; Efficient Home Design Part 1. Now let’s take a look at lot orientation and heat movement

 

 

Orientation

 

Green homes need to be carefully orientated on the chosen lot. The whole idea here is to maximize sun exposure and take advantage of natural shading and insulation. The first thing you will want to do is find the longest side of your house design, and orientate its axis east to west. This creates good southern exposure and allows your home to receive more thermal energy from the sun. If you are using solar panels or solar water heaters you will want to ensure that your roof is pitched at the optimum exposure angle (more on this later).

 

If your lot has hillsides or berms they can be used to provide insulation on the northern side of the house. If your lot is flat you can even make a man made hill if the budget permits. This is a very good way to keep your home insulated, while maintaining maximum southern exposure.

 

Make use of deciduous trees for shading on the southern exposure. Deciduous trees lose their leaves during the winter months. These trees can be planted in front of windows to shade the sunlight during the summer, and allow it to enter during the winter.

 

 

Heat Movement

 

This is one of the biggest factors in creating an energy efficient home. The majority of a homes energy usage is contributed to heating and cooling. Taking advantage of natural heating and cooling properties will save a significant amount of money and energy. These concepts will be discussed in great detail in the future, but for starters there are a few things you should know.

 

The wind always makes things seem cooler. It uses a heat transfer property called convection to displace thermal energy. You will want to make sure that your window placement allows for breezes in the hot summer months. Visit your local weather authority’s website and find some historical data on local wind direction and magnitude. You will want to orientate your windows so that the breeze can blow through the house. If the wind blows west to east, make sure you have windows on both the west and east sides of your home, and a clear path (no walls) so that the wind flow can be established.

 

The chimney effect is due to the fact that hot air rises. Knowing this simple fact we can plan the heat movement in our home. An easy thing you can do to keep your home substantially cooler in the summer is to install a heat vent in the roof of your home. The hot air accumulates in the top floor and the attic. By releasing it you can keep the whole house much cooler. By installing fans on the bottom floor of you home you can create an air flow from the bottom floor up to the vent in the attic. Pushing the hot air right out the top.

 

Make use of fans to eliminate standing air. Most people don’t realize that ceiling fans can actually be used to heat your home in the winter months. By changing the direction of the fan you can blow hot air down (good for winter) or move it out of the house with open windows. Rotary fans can be used to assist the wind flow through your house. Place them so that they blow in the direction of the wind. This will maintain the wind path even when the winds are low. Experiment with different fan and window configurations. Remember that fans use MUCH less energy than air conditioners or heaters.

 

 

Next week we will take a look at how you can incorporate renewable energy systems into your green homes. Check back soon for more green home building tips, thanks for reading.

 

***See Part 3 Green Power Projects