| When your building a new home or planning an | | | | certain that there is sunshine inside of your home |
| extensive remodel you can save $122,000 over | | | | when you want heat and that sunshine is |
| 30 years by including the free heating and cooling | | | | excluded from you home when you don't want it. |
| energy of your climate if you select a house plan | | | | Selecting where exactly the windows and |
| that is solar optimized for your climate. There are | | | | overhangs need to go on your future home, or |
| five basic climates in the USA: cold, hot/mixed | | | | addition, is fairly complicated but you designer |
| dry, hot humid, marine, and mixed humid. | | | | should be able to explain why the majority of the |
| Designing for each of these climates can be | | | | windows are on the south side of your home and |
| challenging but by following the fundamentals of | | | | how the overhangs are designed to let in the low |
| passive solar design and adapting to the | | | | winter sun. Your designer should also be able to |
| differences a home which uses MUCH less energy | | | | explain how they calculated the thermal mass built |
| can be built. These energy savings often exceed | | | | into your home to prevent you house |
| $100 per month over the year which will | | | | overheating in the summer & winter by |
| compound to $122,000 at 7% (tax free too)! | | | | properly matching the glass area to thermal mass |
| I've seen some horrible, and very expensive, | | | | ratio for your climate. |
| passive solar homes built by professional that just | | | | Climate specific building designs are best for each |
| did not have a clue. You need to know at least | | | | region and when you meet with your designer or |
| the basics of what to design for in your climate | | | | purchase pre-drawn plans it is vital to ask what |
| to make certain you save money over the next | | | | climate these were designed for. DO NOT accept |
| 30 years. Luckily the basics are so simple I'm | | | | the idea that plans for one region will work in |
| astounded when I see the errors building | | | | another - they won't! You will end up with a |
| professionals make every day - and so will you. | | | | sub-optimal design that save you only a fraction |
| What climate do you live in? | | | | of the energy ($) you could've saved. |
| - If your summer does not require A/C for more | | | | Red Flags to look for: |
| than 2-3 weeks your in the Cold Climate Zone. | | | | - Angled glass looks quite science-fiction on a |
| - If you don't need heating for more than 2-3 | | | | home but in almost ALL cases it results in an |
| weeks & your grass stays green your in the | | | | overheated house that needs to be vented during |
| Hot Humid Climate Zone. | | | | the day, even in the winter, and leaky windows.I'd |
| - If you don't need heating for more than 2-3 | | | | suggest avoiding all house designs with angles |
| weeks & you can't grow grass your in the | | | | glass - period. |
| Hot/Mixed Dry Climate Zone. | | | | - Unshaded east and west facing glass (except in |
| - If you live on the west coast and it's foggy and | | | | COLD climates) is another bad idea. Some glass |
| cool much of the year your in the Marine Climate | | | | on these sides of the home is acceptable if it is |
| Zone. | | | | shaded with deep porches, trees, etc. In climates |
| - Lastly if you live south of the Mason-Dixon Line | | | | that require A/C for portions of the year the |
| and it gets cold in the winter your in the Mixed | | | | east/west windows let in lots of solarheat when |
| Humid Climate Zone. | | | | you least want it |
| If none of these descriptions seem to fit you can | | | | - Too much glass is a BAD idea as well. Typically |
| look at the US Government map of residential | | | | less than 20% of the total wall area of the home |
| climate zones. | | | | should be glazed, and only if there is sufficient |
| Now that you know which climate you are building | | | | thermal mass. For Hot climates (both humid and |
| your new home in you need to know just TWO | | | | dry) even less glass is preferred and ALL of it |
| design fundamentals: Insolation and Thermal Mass. | | | | needs to be shaded throughout fall/winter/spring. |
| Well they really are simple once you break them | | | | If you follow this advice and question you |
| down "Insolation" is just where/how the sun | | | | designer or plans supplier closely on these issues |
| shines inside of your home and "Thermal Mass" is | | | | you are likely to save 40% or more on your |
| how much heavy massive stuff is inside of your | | | | home heating and cooling - perhaps you will have |
| home. In order to optimize your house plans for | | | | $122,000 more in your pocket (tax free) when |
| solar heating/cooling you simply need to make | | | | your done! |