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If you’re planning a new home, and you’re worried about energy efficiency
think about the benefits of good passive solar design.
Did you know that you could get up to 50% of your heating needs
directly from the sun?
The design and orientation of the home are key.
This house has a lot of south-facing windows to capture the heat from the sun during the winter,
and lots of insulation and fewer windows on the north, east and west sides
to keep that heat in.
Proper shading, though, is important to avoid direct summer heat gains.
This house has roof overhangs, awnings and well-placed shade trees to help with this.
Speaking of windows, you want to make sure that you have highly energy-efficient windows,
designed to capture the sun’s heat on the south side,
and to keep that heat in on the other side of the house.
Ceramic tiles are also a good idea
because they help absorb the heat during the hot part of the day.
And an open floor plan allows the air to circulate
to make sure that the heat is distributed throughout the house, all day long.
For more information on passive solar design, come see us at cmhc. ca.