Home Orientation That Maximises Energy Efficiency
The geographical location and orientation of your home plays a major role in how energy efficient your heating and cooling systems are.
Rising temperatures and longer summers have led to a rethinking of the orientation of homes, allowing modern properties to capture northern sunlight in winter. These days, local climate research helps to inform not only a home’s orientation but its layout and even the size of the rooms. Rooms that capture the winter sun need to stay cool in summer, so the direction of cooling breezes, hot, cold and wet winds are being considered in designing homes that are energy efficient and comfortable.
The effect that buildings, homes and structures have on your site, as well as geographical features, can determine how breezes are directed through your home, where rain will have the most impact and how moisture will be absorbed or evaporated.
Your Home, Your Life, Your Dream
If you’re building a new home, making the most of your investment means fitting all the pieces together. This helps to make your home both energy efficient and a great place to live.
Homes in Australia are now designed with more of a focus on cooling than on heating to cater to the climate. High ceilings and windows capture cool summer breezes in the warmer months and the passive heat of warm sunlight during the cooler months.
An alfresco living area oriented towards the north is well-shaded in summer and during the cooler months, can be heated for year-round entertainment or day-to-day living.
Keeping the eastern side of a home open to light allows for year-round illumination, so living zones including dining, kitchen and lounge rooms are best suited to this side. Bedrooms on the west side of the home not only retain the climate of the rest of the building, they make it easier for young children to fall asleep at night.
Glazing or glass windows and doors can also have a major impact on the energy efficiency of a home. The north side of your home should be the most heavily glazed, with attention paid to the direction and intensity of sunlight on the other sides of your home.
The Right Team and the Right Place
Our Building and Design Consultants will work with you to match the right home to your block of land and lifestyle, even tweaking the layout and orientation to make the most of your unique location and the natural elements that can keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter in the most energy efficient means possible.
Time spent on planning at the inception of your project can save you money on electricity and gas bills in the long term. As well as saving you money, this clever approach to design can make you money when it comes time to sell.
If you’re looking for more direction for your new home, chat to one of our Building and Design Consultants on 1300 555 382 or contact McDonald Jones Homes online.
