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Siting with the Sun: Passive Heating and

Daylighting
Design  Around  the  Sun  to  Lower  Heating  and  Lighting  Needs
Bird's-­Eye  View Key  Materials Design  Notes Builder  Tips The  Code

Siting  can  keep  a  house

warm  and  cool
How  a  house  is  oriented  to  the  sun
has  a  dramatic  impact  on  heating
and  cooling  costs  —  the  largest
energy  load  in  most  homes.

As  promising  as  photovoltaic  (PV)

and  solar  hot  water  collectors  are  for
reducing  our  reliance  on  fossil  fuels,
passive  solar  design  alone  can  lower
heating  costs  tremendously.  Much  of
The  sun  moves,  but  houses  stay  put
the  reduction  is  available  without
The  sun  is  a  lot  higher  in  the  sky  in  summer  than  in  winter.  You
Related  Green  Products
spending  an  extra  dime.
can  use  overhangs  and  trees  to  block  the  sun's  heat  in  summer.  In Profiled  in  our  Product  Guide
the  winter,  when  you  want  the  benefit  of  the  sun's  warmth,  the
sun's  rays  shine  below  the  overhangs  and  the  leaves  are  gone
GUARDIAN  HIGH-­
PERFORMANCE
from  the  trees.
INSULATING  GLASS
GUARDIAN  INDUSTRIES  CORP.
GLAZING

ABOUT  PASSIVE  HEATING  AND  DAYLIGHTING

OTHER  CONSIDERATIONS
Start  your  design  with  a  compass.
Existing  landscape PARANS  FIBER  OPTIC
Think  about  how  the  sun  moves  through  the  day  and  through
can  affect  how  well  your  site  design SYSTEM  HUVCO,  DAYLIGHTING
the  year  when  you  start  designing  your  floor  plan.  Selective SOLUTIONS
works  for  your  house. METAL-­FRAMED  SKYLIGHTS
siting,  shading,  and  construction  strategies  can  save  money
on  lighting  and  heating  bills.  Also,  a  house  with  plenty  of Drainage  patterns  of  a  site  can
natural  light  is  more  pleasant  to  be  in. affect  landscape  choices  and
foundation  durability.
Design  floor  plans  to  use  sun  all  day  long.  Think  of  a
house  as  four  distinct  quadrants,  each  with  its  own  potential
MAKE  IT  GREENER Related  Content
for  daylight  and  free  heat,  depending  on  the  sun's  position
From  around  the  site
during  the  day.

Morning  sun  is  dominant  in  east-­facing  rooms.  Locating

The  Next  Step  in  Sustainable  Design  
IN  BLOGS  |  AUG  2,  2017
the  dining  room  or  breakfast  nook  and  the  kitchen  on  the
Choosing  and  Installing  Windows  in  the
east  wall  makes  the  most  of  light  potential  early  in  the  day.
ProHOME  
It's  also  a  good  place  for  a  dense  floor  that  can  soak  up  some IN  BLOGS  |  MAR  23,  2017
solar  heat  for  the  day.  Bedrooms  with  east-­facing  windows
New  Ways  to  Find  High-­Performance
will  be  great  for  early  risers  but  terrible  for  people  who  like  to Windows  
sleep  in. IN  BLOGS  |  NOV  30,  2015

Sunlight  is  strongest  on  the  south  wall.  This  is  the  right
Don’t  Be  an  Air  Hole!  —  Part  1  
IN  BLOGS  |  SEP  29,  2014
quadrant  for  the  living  room  and  other  spaces  that  will  be
Is  It  Really  Cheaper  to  Live  In  A  Green
used  throughout  the  day.  For  heat  gain,  rooms  with  south-­
House?  
facing  windows  are  another  good  choice  for  dense  materials IN  PRIMER
like  stone,  brick,  or  concrete.
How  do  I  know  when  a  building  product  is
Early  evening  light  from  the  west  is  at  a  low  angle. really  green?  
IN  PRIMER
Because  the  sun  is  so  low  in  the  sky,  west-­facing  windows  get
Shade  walls  with  roof  overhangs Mid-­Century  Gem  Revived  in  Austin  
direct  sunlight  blazing  through  them.  This  makes  west-­facing
IN  GREEN  HOMES
rooms  a  bad  choice  for  TV  rooms  because  strong  light  makes Direct  sun  eats  up  siding  faster  than
Do  Europeans  Really  Make  the  Best
screens  harder  to  see. anything  else.  Even  small  roof
Windows?  
overhangs  provide  shelter  for  walls, IN  FINE  HOMEBUILDING
In  cold  areas,  this  is  the  last  chance  of  the  day  to  soak  up
and  deep  overhangs  can  shelter  the
some  sun;;  in  hot  areas,  it's  the  most  important  window  to Window  Installation  Done  Right  
whole  wall. IN  FINE  HOMEBUILDING
shade  with  trees.  A  west  bedroom  is  good  for  people  who  like
to  sleep  in  because  the  room  is  very  dark  in  the  morning. Collect  sun,  block  sun New  Life  for  Old  Double-­Hung  Windows  
IN  FINE  HOMEBUILDING
In  hot  climates,  use  deciduous  trees
North  rooms  have  the  least  natural  light.  They  also  have The  Greenest  House  in  America  
to  shade  summer  heat  while  letting
the  greatest  potential  for  heat  loss  through  windows.  This  is  a IN  FINE  HOMEBUILDING
some  winter  heat  in.  Roof  overhangs
good  place  for  bathrooms,  utility  rooms,  entries,  and  other
can  do  the  same  job  if  designed  with
rooms  where  natural  light  isn't  as  important.  That  said,
the  sun's  seasonal  path  in  mind.
painters  and  artisans  might  appreciate  generous  north-­facing Join  our  Facebook  Posse!
TRADE-­OFFS
windows  because  of  the  quality  of  the  light.
Windows  mean  free  heat  and GreenBuildingAdvisor.…
Of  course,  cooling  a  house  can  be  expensive,  too. 11,045 likes
light,  but  they  also  amount  to  a  big
The  sun's  orientation  is  just  as  important  for  houses  built  in
hole  in  the  wall  that  must  be  leak-­
the  Sunbelt,  where  controlling  heat  gain  in  the  summer
free.  Problem  is,  many  windows  aren't
lowers  cooling  costs  and  creates  a  more  comfortable  indoor
leak-­free.
environment.
Like Page Share
Skylights  can  bring  daylight  into
You  can  lessen  temperature  swings  in  houses  in  all  climates
dark  interior  rooms,  but  like
by  using  dense  materials  in  key  areas.  Siting  a  house
windows,  they  too  can  amount  to Be the first of your friends to like this
thoughtfully  can  make  these  areas  inviting  rooms.
leak-­prone  holes  —  in  the  roof!  They

MORE  ABOUT  DAYLIGHTING also  let  in  unwanted  heat  in  the
summer.
Find  other  ways  to  let  in  light.
Window  placement  should  work
Not  every  room  in  a  house  can well  inside  and  look  good  outside.
have  generously  sized  windows The  balance  between  what  looks  good
that  admit  natural  light.  Rooms  at inside  and  what  looks  good  outside
the  interior  core  of  a  house  as  well matters  because  people  tend  not  to
as  those  facing  north  sometimes take  care  of  unattractive  houses.
get  shortchanged. Popular  Content
Sunlight  can  affect  a  thermostat,  a North  Carolina  Reverses  Building  Code
Open  floor  plans  allow  light  from good  thing  to  keep  in  mind  when Changes
skylights  and  windows  to A  Quantitative  Look  at  Solar  Heat  Gain
deciding  where  to  install  them.  A On  the  eve  of  2018,  what  are  the  views  of
penetrate  deep  into  a  house.  Skylights  over  stairways,  for thermostat  will  do  a  better  job  of mixing  a  'pretty  good  house'  with  a  wood
example,  can  bring  light  into  the  center  of  a  house. regulating  indoor  temperatures  when stove?
Choosing  between  ducted  and  ductless
it  is  kept  out  of  direct  sunlight  and
Skylights  are  a  simple  way  of  introducing  light  to  rooms heating
placed  in  a  central  location. Brick  house  insulation
right  below  roof  level.  Both  fixed  and  operable  skylights  are
Linked  article  claims  that  heat-­pump  clothes
available. dryers  increase  interior  air  temperature
GREEN  POINTS
significantly
Angled  (splayed)  walls  broadcast South  Australia  Goes  All  Out  on  Renewables
LEED  for  Homes  1  point  under  ID
the  most  light,  and  placing Despite  Federal  Focus  on  Coal
1.5  (Innovation  &  Design  Process)  for
skylights  near  a  wall  creates  a EPA  Ordered  to  Speed  Up  New  Lead  Rule
meeting  passive  solar  design  criteria.
pleasant  light-­washing  effect  on
the  wall  surface. NGBS  Under  Ch.  7  —  Energy
Efficiency:  4  points  for  meeting
Skylights  have  a  negative  trade-­
passive  solar  design  requirements
off,  however:  a  high  potential  for
(704.3.1.4);;  2  points  for  skylights
energy  loss  because  even  the  best  have  a  higher  U-­factor
(704.2.4).
(lower  R-­value)  than  well-­insulated  walls  and  ceilings.

Skylights  also  can  produce  unexpected  glare  and

uncomfortably  warm  indoor  temperatures  unless  they  have  shades.  With  this  in  mind,  in  most  climates  it
is  wise  to  limit  skylights  to  north  roof  slopes.  At  least  consider  the  path  of  the  sun  throughout  the  day
when  picking  skylight  locations.

Tubular  skylights  incorporate  a  plastic,  roof-­mounted  dome,  a  highly  reflective  rigid  or  flexible  tube,
and  a  light  diffuser  mounted  in  the  ceiling.  As  long  as  there  is  good  attic  access,  a  tubular  skylight  can  be
easily  installed  in  most  existing  homes.  Tubular  skylights  are  expensive  replacements  for  lightbulbs,  but
they  offer  natural  light  over  artificial  light,  and  you  won't  waste  energy  if  you  leave  the  "light"  on.  They’re
a  good  option  for  dark  interior  spaces  like  bathrooms.

Ridge  skylights,  dormers,  and  clerestories  can  add  natural  light

to  interior  spaces  where  windows  are  not  an  option  or  where  more
natural  light  is  desired.  A  clerestory—a  band  of  windows  installed
between  the  ridge  of  an  upper  shed  roof  and  the  ridge  of  a  lower
shed  roof—can  throw  light  far  into  a  room.  Operable  windows
improve  air  circulation.

Light  shelves,  located  directly  below  skylights  or  clerestories,  bounce  light  back
toward  the  ceiling  and  provide  good  indirect  lighting  to  a  large  room.  Light  shelves  can
also  block  glare  from  overhead  sun  when  skylight  placement  options  are  limited.

Consider  interior  colors,  too.  Light  colors  reflect  light  more  easily  than  darker
shades.  Interiors  painted  in  light  colors  will  feel  larger  and  brighter,  and  make  it  easier
to  use  daylight  as  task  lighting.
A  FEW  DAYLIGHTING  STRATEGIES  TO  CONSIDER:
Place  a  house  on  the  site  so  that  light  is  managed  easily.
Let  light  in  by  angling  the  house  properly,  using  trees  or  awnings  to  shade  the  windows  during  the  heat  of
the  day,  and  sizing  the  overhangs  to  admit  winter  light  while  blocking  the  hot  summer  sun.

To  balance  light,  shape  the  house  so  that  light  can  enter  every  room  from  at  least  two  sides.
Four-­square  styles  are  a  traditional  way  of  evenly  admitting  light.  Adding  a  courtyard,  atrium,  or  skylight
can  illuminate  an  interior  from  above.  Also,  an  H-­  or  C-­shaped  house  offers  many  rooms  that  can  let  light
in  from  two  sides.  There  are  trade-­offs  to  consider,  however;;  H-­  and  C-­shaped  houses  are  less  compact,
and  therefore  less  energy  efficient,  than  compact  rectangular  houses.

Where  light  from  a  second  side  isn't  possible,  provide  light  from  above.
Skylights  and  clerestory  windows  are  two  ways  to  sneak  light  in  from  up  high.  There  are  many  ways  to
bounce  that  light  around  to  dim  corners  such  as  light  shelves  and  flared  skylight  shafts.  Remember,
though,  that  skylights  are  a  weak  link  in  a  home's  thermal  envelope,  and  should  therefore  be  used
sparingly.
Shape  and  locate  each  opening  to  suit  both  the  climate  and  the  room.
Does  the  space  need  bright  task  lighting  or  warm  ambient  light?  Are  the  windows  more  important  for
lighting  or  solar  heat  gain?  Would  large  windows  be  a  liability  in  an  otherwise  well-­insulated  space?  Such
questions  that  require  careful  evaluation  of  the  site  conditions  and  the  home's  needs.

Excerpted  from  Fine  Homebuilding  magazine

Related  Topics  in  the  Green  Building  Encyclopedia

Green  Basics  Index
Building  Lots  &  Siting
Main  topic  areas:
Job  Sites
Design,  Planning,  and  Building  Science
Siting  A  House:  Passive  Heating  &
Building  Lots  &  Siting
Daylighting
Envelope  and  Structure
Landscape:  Native  Plants,  Soil,  and  Pest  Control
Mechanical  Systems
Stormwater  Management
Green  Remodeling  Projects
Hardscapes:  Patios  and  Driveways

Image  Credits:
Martha  Garstang  Hill/Fine  Homebuilding  #172
Joseph  Kugielsky  /  Fine  Homebuilding  166
TAGS:  DAYLIGHTING,  GREEN  DESIGN,  PASSIVE  HEATING,  SITING  A  HOUSE,  WINDOWS,  LANDSCAPE,  SITING:
PASSIVE  HEATING  AND  DAYLIGHTING,  GENERAL  INFORMATION,  WINDOWS  AND  DOORS,  WINDOWS

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6
COMMENTS

6.   Pete  Powell's  blog

JAN  26,  2010 by  Martin  Holladay  
11:06  AM  ET
Pete  Powell  has  contributed  a  blog  in  which  he  develops  his  ideas  on  passive  solar
design.
Read  all  about  it:  "A  Contrarian  View  of  Passive  Solar  Design."

5.   My  Jan  4  post
JAN  5,  2010  7:47 by  Pete  Powell  
PM  ET
Obviously  I  have  a  typo  in  the  seventh  line;;  it  should  read  "...certainly  you  do  not
want..."  Sorry,  Pete

4.   Passive  heating
JAN  4,  2010  4:49 by  Pete  Powell  
PM  ET
Martin,  My  comments  are  based  primarily  on  my  own  experience  and  observations,
having  lived  in  seven  passively  heated  houses  and  having  designed  many  more.  The
altitude  of  the  sun  during  the  summer  months  is  high  enough  to  minimize  heat  gain.
It  is  a  non-­issue  in  this  climate  anyway  unless  air  conditioning  is  in  use,  since  any
minor  heat  gains  are  mitigated  by  the  thermal  mass  and  simple  window  ventilation.
On  cool  spring  and  fall  days  you  certainly  do  want  any  shading-­  I  actually  had  a
client  remove  south  elevation  overhangs  from  a  house  I  had  designed  many  years
ago  for  this  reason.
While  I  have  my  myth  buster  hat  on-­here  are  two  more:  First  a  passive  house  can
be  oriented  as  much  as  25  degrees  off  true  south  with  negligible  impact  on
performance.  Recently  published  tables  show  an  approximate  10-­15%  loss,  but  I
currently  have  two  identical  passively  heated  buildings-­one  a  home  and  the  other  a
studio,  built  side  by  side,  but  with  one  facing  due  south  and  the  other
facing  west  of  south  by  25  degrees.  Both  perform  almost  identically  as  far  as
internal  space  and  thermal  storage  temperatures  at  the  end  of  a  sunny  day.  The
two  buildings  seldom  vary  by  more  than  one  or  two  degrees,  with  the  westerly
facing  building  performing  slightly  better  in  the  spring  and  fall  and  the  other
performing  slightly  better  in  the  winter.  My  second  comment  has  to  do  with  the
statement  in  the  above  article  that  a  roof  overhang  will  protect  the  siding.  This
seems  a  bit  of  a  stretch  since  the  overhang  will  shade  only  a  small  fraction  of  the
siding  on  the  house,  and  where  it  does  shade  is  where  there  should  be  glass  for
solar  gain.

3.   South  roof  overhangs

DEC  30,  2009 by  Martin  Holladay  
6:27  AM  ET
Pete,
I  agree  with  you  completely  on  deciduous  trees  —  in  fact  I  corrected  the  text  of  the
article  to  reflect  your  point.  However,  I  disagree  with  you  concerning  south
overhangs.  Can  you  point  to  a  study  with  field  data  to  support  your  contention?

2.   Passive  heating
DEC  29,  2009 by  Pete  
11:08  PM  ET
I  am  a  registered  architect  and  have  designed  over  60  passive  solar  houses
primarily  in  the  middle  Atlantic  and  Northeast.  In  my  experience  two  of  the  biggest
myths  of  passive  solar  design  are  repeated  in  this  article.  In  locations  with  colder
climates:  1.  Never  plant  or  locate  a  house  with  deciduous  trees  on  the  south  side  to
provide  summer  shading-­  even  with  leaves  down  they  still  cause  a  substantial
reduction  in  heat  gain;;  also,  if  they  ever  get  big  enough  to  actually  do  any  shading
they  will  affect  any  active  or  PV  collectors  that  might  be  on  the  roof.  2.  Never
construct  significant  roof  overhangs  on  the  south  side  to  minimize  summer  heat
gain-­  this  isn't  really  a  concern  since  the  high  angle  of  the  sun  causes  mostly
reflection  rather  than  heat  gain  and,  most  importantly,  the  overhangs  significantly
reduce  desireable  spring  and  fall  heat  gain  on  cool  days.

1.   Designer  Radiators
OCT  19,  2009 by  Steve  -­  Radiator  Showroom  
11:57  PM  ET
This  post  gets  an  instant  bookmark!  It  reminds  me  of  my  favorite  home  design  book
from  the  80s,  It  was  a  Time  Life  book  on  sustainable  living  and  how  I  miss  it.  Such
simple  yet  effective  ideas  for  heating  and  lighting  which  can  be  utilized  (and  should
be  utilized)  with  the  slightest  bit  of  effort  and  forethought.  Can  you  imagine  the
combined  energy  savings  if  all,  or  even  just  50%  of  new  homes  followed  just  a  few
of  these  tips?  It's  shocking  that  this  sort  of  basic  building  common  sense  is  left  out
of  most  new  home  designs!

Thanks  for  posting  this  excellent  article!

Steve

©2015  Green  Building  Advisor.  From  The  Taunton  Press,  Inc.,  publisher  of  Fine  Homebuilding  Magazine.

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