1. Typical Building Orientations
Orientation to South creates light and warmth in winter with shade in summer.
South-East and South-West elevations overheat in summer and produce inadequate heat in winter.
South
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2. Remedies for Harsher Façades
Orient main axis East-West and minimize East / West elevations.
Just say No! to South-East and South-West orientations.
South
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3. Unique Requirements for North Elevation
reduced window size
insulating hard-coat low-e glass
lets in more north sky light
South
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4. Unique Requirements for East and West Elevations
reduced window size
insulating soft coat low-e glass
exterior shades
South
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5. Unique Requirements for South Elevation
overhang provides shade in summer
insulating hard-coat low-e glass
allows high heat gain in winter
South
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6. Example: Specifying South-Facing Windows
Glazing Type: Low-E, Tempered where required.
South facing glazing to have “Hard Coat” Low-E.
Acceptable ratings: U-factor = 0.33 and SHGC = 0.65
LOF Low-E / Hard Coat (Energy Advantage) LoE-178 #3
Non-South facing glazing to have standard “Soft Coat” Low-E.
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7. Remedies for SW & SE Elevations
What if a South-East or South-West elevation cannot be avoided?
South
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8. Following the Old Cow Paths …
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9. UC Merced’s Draft EIR
“Many features of passive energy design, such as proper orientation of buildings, maximizing southern exposure and proper window
placement, result in significant energy savings.”
Objective: Optimize Passive Energy Design in Buildings
South
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10. Eventually…
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11. So much for good intentions.
Stay tuned…
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