Housing...Inside and Out

July 28, 2000
Planning an Energy Efficient Home

Planning to build a new home? Shopping for a new home? With energy costs as they are presently, energy conservation has become an important consideration in design of today's dwellings.

Where the house is built can be just as important in saving energy as how it is built. Energy efficiency begins with selecting a good site, then properly locating the house on the site. The major concern is the way in which the sun and the wind affect a given location.

Ideally, the site should have a good southern exposure for maximum solar heat gain in the winter. During the summer, solar heat gain can be reduced by proper site selection. The house design and construction also play a major role in reducing heat gain during the summer.

Shield your home from chilling north winter winds. Properly located trees can serve as windbreaks to the north and west sides of the house. This is important if the site is in an open, rural area or on a hilltop. Evergreens are especially effective as windbreaks. Fences and neighboring houses can also provide some protection from winter winds.

Trees can provide useful shade in the summer if properly located. Large deciduous trees, close to the east, south and west sides of a house provide shade for windows, roof and walls. In the winter, these trees drop their leaves to allow solar heat gain in the house.

The long or main axis of the house should run east/west. This places the sides on the north and south and gives the house maximum southern exposure which is a benefit in the winter.

Garages and other unheated areas of the house should be on the north or west sides of the house to serve as buffers from cold winter winds.

Before selecting a house or floor plan, carefully analyze present and future space requirements. A house should be only large enough to meet your needs. Generally, the larger the house, the more energy it takes to heat and cool it.

The shape of the house can also contribute to energy efficiency. Reducing the exterior wall area or roof area can reduce winter heat loss.

The most energy efficient shape is the circle. This is because the circle has the greatest interior area when compared to the exterior diameter or perimeter of any geometric shape. The next best alternative is the square plan. Both are more efficient that long rectangular, L-shaped or other spread out designs.

Generally, a multi-story house will cost less to heat and cool than a sprawling, one-story ranch house. This is because the roof area is reduced for the same interior space.

To plan the best house for you and your family, as well as an energy efficient house, may require some trade-off. A house must be functional and meet the requirements of space and layout for your type of lifestyle as well as be energy efficient.


Written by Dr. Francis Graham (Retired)

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