The location of a Passive House building can affect its energy efficiency, as different climates and environmental conditions may require different design strategies. For example, buildings in hot climates may require more shading and natural ventilation, while buildings in cold climates may require additional insulation and passive solar heating.
As the saying goes, “North, south, east, west, home’s best.” While it doesn’t technically refer to your home’s orientation, it’s important to know that the direction in which your house faces plays a critical role in establishing its energy efficiency. It’s not quite as simple as north-facing homes get the most sun, so that’s how you’re going to orient your house. There are many factors that come into play.
The sun’s position in the sky at different times of the year, for instance, and the prevailing wind conditions. Even the size and location of your neighbour’s house must be considered. Get it right and you could potentially save up to 40% on your home’s power bills.
Australia has an incredibly diverse climate and each region has slightly different requirements that determine the most effective location for an energy-efficient home. If you are looking for some kind of overarching standard, however, then north-facing homes work well with most climate zones in the country.
South-facing homes work well in warm climates because they aren’t awash in direct sunlight in summer. As a result, you won’t have to spend a small fortune trying to keep your home cool. However, this is not a great help in winter when you want to keep your home warm. You can look into various window treatment ideas to keep the cold out.
Solar blinds are great because in summer they protect against UV rays. In winter, they can generate heat by absorbing sunlight and converting it into interior radiant heat. One simple window treatment acts as a passive solar collector, which is great if you’re trying to reduce your carbon footprint.
East-facing homes get a lot of sun in the mornings, so they can get very hot in summer. You can manage the problem by installing small windows that let in light and heat without overwhelming the space and turning it into an oven
In winter, however, all the accumulated heat can spread throughout your house during the afternoon. This is excellent because you won’t have to rely exclusively on a heating system to keep your home at a comfortable temperature throughout the cold months.
West-facing homes are the exact opposite. They get a lot of sunlight in the afternoon, which can be stifling in summer. That’s why they tend to work best in cold climates. You can mitigate the heat in summer by installing smaller windows, planting deciduous trees, or using window treatments like cellular shades.
Cellular or honeycomb shades use a honeycomb design to create air pockets between the window and interior spaces. The pocket stops heat from leaching out the windows, keeping the temperature inside comfy and warm.
Cellular shades are considered by many to be the most energy-efficient of all the window treatments, which is perfect if you’re aiming for a passive house – basically an extremely energy-efficient certified home.
North-facing homes work well in cold climates because they get good sunlight throughout the year. You can maximise this exposure by using window treatments or high-performance glazed windows, which are favoured in passive houses because they are so energy efficient.
Good fences make good neighbours provided you aren’t too close to the boundary line. Houses that are too close together can play havoc with each other’s energy efficiency. For example, they might cast shade over what would be the perfect place for a conservatory or sunroom to capture direct sunlight in winter, which would help maintain a passive heating system.
Some landscaping features have a greater impact on the way in which your home uses energy than others.
Take patios and decks, for example. You can place your deck on the side of the house that gets the most sunlight, which gives you a relaxing spot to enjoy the sun as far into autumn as possible. If it gets too hot, a canopy or trellis can provide much-needed shade while still maximising direct sunlight.
Your garden also helps when it comes to energy efficiency. For example, planting deciduous trees provides coolness and shade in summer, but when the leaves fall off, the sun can shine in and help keep your house warm in winter.
Fences, shrubbery, and hedges can all be used to divert or funnel breezes that cool your home in summer. If you live in a windy climate, fences, shrubbery, and hedges can be used to divert or filter strong winds.
Clever landscaping can divert or funnel breezes by a couple of hundred metres.
The National Construction Code (NCC) measures, among other factors, energy efficiency in residential buildings. It’s measured on a scale from one to ten. Currently, seven is the required residential energy efficiency in Australia.
There are other rating schemes that measure the energy efficiency of homes in Australia.
The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) uses a 10-star rating system to measure energy efficiency based on house plans and building specifications.
The Building Sustainability Index (BASIX®) sets energy and water reduction targets for residential buildings in NSW.
This used to be the mantra for real estate agents. Now it applies to the orientation of residential buildings because location and orientation play such a crucial role in determining energy efficiency, and energy efficiency is what home builders, buyers, and owners are starting to value above all else.
