How Passive Design Postively Impacts Your Eco Home
Posted on: 17 November 2016
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The best thing about being involved in the design of your new home is the ability to have your personal taste reflected in the final drawings. As someone who wants to make sure your new home is as environmentally friendly as possible, you already know about the benefits of solar heating and double-glazed windows. However, you may not be aware of the passive design concept. Passive design refers to the way your home regulates its internal temperature without using external energy at all. These are the two main points you need to know.
1. Orientation
There is a science about how you place your new home on your piece of land. Many homes are designed to take advantage of the views around the property, but this is not always in tune with a home that is environmentally friendly.
As a general rule, the living area of your new home should face north. This orientation means your home gets the most sun exposure during the winter months. The more sun it can absorb during winter, the less energy you need for heating.
However, you must also take into account the typical wind direction at your new home's location. Wind patterns provide energy-free cooling to a home during the summer months. Be open-minded when it comes to discussing the orientation of your house with your eco-home designer. Orientation adjustments may be necessary to make the most of the natural heating and cooling resources of your property.
2. Natural Shade
Determining the location of the new home based on the location of mature trees is becoming more common. While trees have previously been felled to make way for the new house, removing trees also removes the natural shade element they provide.
Take a walk around the new house location with your eco-home designer to discuss which trees are of most benefit when it comes to shielding the home from hot sun in the summer. You need to find that balance between plenty of summer shade without blocking out the needed winter sun warmth. Locating your home near deciduous trees works well as they lose their leaves in the autumn, but are full of shady foliage during spring and summer.
Orientation and natural shade are two passive design points that can help to keep your home temperature controlled naturally. Be open to ideas about other location ideas for your new property, and rejoice in having much lower energy bills once you move in.