Solar Orientation + House
Using the power of the sun to provide heat or light in your home can be done a couple of ways. In this article, we look at passive solar and solar orientation of the house.
Solar Orientation + House
Nature is a funny thing. If we pay close attention to it, we can often find the answer to many questions. Solar orientation is no different. In this case, we are going to look at lizards for guidance.
Undoubtedly, you have seen lizards sunning themselves on rocks if you have ever gone hiking or even just sat outside. If you gave it any thought, you realized the lizard was practicing solar orientation. It positioned itself to maximize the exposure to the sun by determining where it was going to get the maximum warmth. As odd as it may sound, solar orientation of a house involves the same approach.
The goal of solar orientation of a house is to maximize the exposure to the sun throughout the year. The more surface area that is exposed, the more energy you can convert. Get it wrong, and your passive solar results will be very disappointing.
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, the south side of your house will always receive the most sunlight. As a practical matter, this means the longest side of your house should face south. This side should also contain the most windows or a Trombe Wall to convert the energy. While facing south is important, there is an additional step to solar orientation of a house.
The Earth tilts through different degrees throughout the year, one of the factors that gives us seasons. You need to realize this and orient your house for the appropriate time of the year. You are probably not going to need heating during the summer. As a result, you should not orient your home to the path of sun during this period of time. Instead, you should determine the path of the sun during the winter, to wit, the angle at which it strikes your property. You will be surprised how much of a difference there is, but will be glad you take it into account since this is when you need to the most heating.
Much like a reptile changes places on a rock throughout the day, you need to gauge the best position for your house in the winter. Solar orientation of the house for such a period will guarantee you maximize the heating aspect of your passive solar efforts.
