Choosing your Site

Choosing the right site to build your dream home is probably the single most important factor in building a sustainable energy friendly home that will be cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

A decision as simple as where on a block of land a house is placed can save its occupants thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the dwelling.

 Good orientation increases the energy efficiency of a home, making it more comfortable to live in and cheaper to run. Positioning of the home is referred to as orientation. With good orientation achieving 5 or even 6 star energy rating is far easier and cheaper to achieve than say a site that has its living areas facing south or west. With good orientation the need for auxiliary heating and cooling is reduced, resulting in lower energy bills and reduced greenhouse emissions. This is called passive heating and cooling, or in very simplistic terms positioning the home in such away that it is heated and cooled by nature. A well designed home will take advantage of the sun in winter and shield it in summer. Further a well orientated home will also take advantage of cooling summer breezes by way of cross ventilation.
Build  to maximise the site’s potential and to achieve the best possible orientation for living areas.

 In Winter

In winter the sun is low in the sky and is able to penetrate glazing on the northern side to heat the slab (thermal mass). This heat is then released when it cools down at night.

A simple way to understand how thermal mass works, is to feel the warmth that radiates from a brickwall that has been exposed to sunshine during the day. The mass (in this case bricks) heats up and stores the suns energy as a heat bank. That same wall remains warm even when the temperature has cooled down. This same principle when applied to your home slab will help the sun keep your home warm for free.

In Summer

 In summer the sun is high in the sky. Eaves, pergolas and verandas cast a shadow preventing the summer sun from entering the home and heating it and the slab. Proper positioning of windows allows cool afternoon and evening breezes to cool down the home.

Because we dont want the slab radiating heat in summer it is very important that the sun is kept away from the slab by shading the windows with the use of eaves, shades, vegetation or pergolas.

Sites running North-South (N-S) 

North – South blocks are ideal because they receive good access to northern sun with minimum potential for overshadowing by neighbouring houses. In summer neighbouring houses provide protection from low east and west sun.
N-S sites on the north side of the street allow north facing living areas and gardens to be located at the rear of the house for privacy, which is the traditional layout for house design.

N-S sites on the south side of the street should be wide enough to accommodate an entry at the front as well as private north facing living areas. Set the house back to accommodate a north facing garden. This is not always option and can lead to southerly facing living spaces.

South facing living spaces means that the living space is predominately in shade and the room misses out on using the winter sun to help heat the home. Because of this constant shading the outdoor areas can become quite damp and uninviting in winter.

Sites running East – West

East-West blocks should be wide enough to accommodate north facing outdoor space. Overshadowing by neighbouring houses is more likely to occur on these sites. A north facing slope increases the potential for access to northern sun and is ideal for higher housing densities. A south facing slope increases the potential for overshadowing.
Views to the north are an advantage, as north is the best direction to locate windows and living areas. If the view is to the south avoid large areas of glass in order to minimise winter heat loss. West or east facing glass areas will cause overheating in summer if not properly shaded.
If you find a site that you wish to purchase with poor orientation or limited solar access due to other constraints, an energy efficient home is still achievable through careful design. A larger budget may be required. Use of advanced glazing systems and shading can achieve net winter solar gains from windows facing almost any direction while limiting summer heat gain to a

Good House Orientation

Preferred Orientation