With good design you can minimise the need to rely on heating and cooling to remain comfortable in your home.
- Minimise shading to any portion of the glass in winter to allow full winter solar access, or increase the distance between the window head and the underside of the eave, but consider the affect it will have in summer.
- Use adjustable shade screens or deep overhangs (or a combination of both) tothe east and west. Deep covered balconies or verandas shade and cool incoming air and provide pleasant outdoor living space.
- Place a shaded courtyard next to the main living areas to act as a cool air well. Tall, narrow, generously planted courtyards are the most effective when positioned so that they are shaded by the house.
- Use planting instead of paving, to reduce the retention of summer heat, lower ground temperatures, and to reduce the amount of reflected heat.
- For further information on all aspects of sustainable housing, refer to the Your Home technical manual – 300 pages of practical technical solutions for builders, designers and homeowners which is also available on-line.
