Does the way my home is positioned on my land affect its energy efficiency?
The short answer is “absolutely!” Everyone is looking for ways to save money, and properly siting your home to take advantage of passive solar gain is one of the easiest and smartest ways to accomplish that goal. Here are four options.
1. Take one long side of your home and point it true south so your home can soak in the sun all day, increasing your passive solar heat gain and natural light. If you ever think you’re going to put solar connectors on your roof point them true south as well to get the maximum benefit, but make sure to tell your manufacturer or builder if so they can make sure your home is solar ready.
2. Design an adequate roof overhang. A 2-foot overhang blocks the summer sun, keeping the home cool, while letting in the winter sun to warm it up.
3. Position the kitchen and living room (the places you’re most likely to be in during the daylight hours) true south so that they are getting all the daytime sun (this also saves money on your lighting bills). Place bedrooms on the east side of the house so you get the morning sun in the bedroom to wake up to.
4. On the east and west sides of your home, we recommend using deciduous trees, dwarf or mini dwarf (like fruit trees) in your landscaping to create shade during sunrise and sunset. In the summer, when their leaves are in they will block the sun, keeping your home cooler. Then in the winter, the leaves are gone which will let more sunlight in, keeping your home warmer. Fruit trees are easy to prune to the appropriate height (and you get the added benefit of home-grown produce!)
Published on: May 11, 2017
Like what you read? Need more information? Achieving energy efficiency for you log homes goes beyond the logs. We've asked industry experts, Katahdin Cedar Log Homes to help with the answers. Click here to see more.
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