> The importance of building orientation

Last updated 1:16 pm, Tuesday 9th March 2010

In case you did not known this fact - the Sun rises in the East and sets in the West, no matter where you are in the world. Here's another fact - the Sun is higher in the Summer sky and lower in the Winter sky. So what does this have to do with correct building orientation? Answer: Everything, read on.

Using the Sun to your advantage when you orientate your building

The fact the sun is lower in the sky in Winter than in Summer allows us to plan and construct buildings that capture that free heat in Winter and reject the heat in Summer. The orientation of the whole building plays an important part in ensuring such a 'passive' process works. See the diagram below.

Ideal house orientation

The ideal house orientation is that the main long axis of the building runs East-West, i.e the ridge line. You can move this by as much as 20 degrees without ill effect, but the most glass on the building must be facing towards the sun. When deciding the building orientation also take into account the location of landscape features on your plot , i.e. trees and walls, etc which will impact on how you harness the sun. Ideally you do not want them blocking the sun light as the sun tracks across the sky.

Solar orientation is different to magnetic orientation

It is very important that you remember to orientate your house with respect to the Sun and not to magnetic North (or South), see the diagram below.

Apparent magnetic North can be very different to where Solar North is (up to 20 degrees), this can make all the difference between a passive solar design being viable or not. Your local council should be able to give you details of what the offset should be as this varies from place to place.

Living Area placement

Also of importance is that the rooms most used must be on the side of the house orientated towards the sun, i.e. the kitchen, lounge, etc. Also put the least used rooms on the side of the house in shade, i.e. garage, laundry; these will also act as additional thermal mass, if properly insulated.

Design your house for the whole year

Since you live in your home through Summer and Winter, you should design it for the entire year. It is important to be comfortable all year long and not just for a single season. Sometimes, solar homes are built with large areas of upward, tilted, south-facing glass, designed to catch every bit of sun, Winter or Summer. While tilted glass does maximize heat gain during the winter months, it also maximizes that same heat gain during the summer. If you understand that the rays of sun's high Summer arc will bounce off vertical, south-facing glass and reduce heat gain, you can let nature do the work for you in a passively designed home.

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Related Tags: building orientation, passive solar, sustainable architecture, sustainable design, home

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