Yes, I considered all of these and more. I got lucky in placement of the house. We sited it in a spot that we wanted veiws of but ended up with some really good big shade trees that shade the summer sun from the 3/4 of the back deck… I also did not put many windows on the south as this is a hot climate and we don’t need that much heat gain but did put in skylight (dormer) windows that brings light in to the living area from sunup to sundown. We did some things right but I have a list really big list of things we didn’t do right. I think it would have been best if we had run the plans through a qualified architect , at least for review. – REX
You have purchased some acreage of land with plans to build your dream home. You are ready to put your house plan in motion, but then you have this question. Where is the best place to build on the property and which direction should the house face? When you are concerned with the energy efficiency of your new home, then you will want answers to these questions before the building begins.
The properly positioned and well designed home has a lot to do with your heating and cooling expenses in the months and years to come. You will want to give consideration to wind patterns. Winter winds will blow on the north and northeast sides of your house. Summer winds will blow on the south and west sides of your house. Positioning your home well and landscaping it well will allow low-angle winter sun to reduce your heating cost and reject overhead summer sun to reduce cooling expense.
There are other tips you should consider that are effective in reducing heating and cooling costs:
· Plant deciduous trees (trees that lose their leaves in the fall) near the home to provide protection from the summer sun and also provide winter sunlight to warm your home. Trees provide shade, windbreaks and wind channels.
· Vines grown on trellises near windows can provide shading and cooling.
· Plant evergreen trees and shrubs on all sides of the house will help for both winter and summer conditions.
· Rows of trees or shrubs, walls, fences, and nearby buildings can all help to block winds.
· Pavement near the home will reflect or absorb heat, depending upon whether the pavement is light or dark in color.
· Air conditioning units should be placed on the north side of the home so that it will be shaded from direct sunlight. It will cool better and will use as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.
· Plant trees or shrubs near the air conditioning unit to help with shading it, but be careful not to block the unit‘s airflow.
These are just a few energy-conserving tips for the homeowner to consider. During this time of closely monitoring the family budget and also learning to be more environmentally conscious, why not start today implementing some good energy saving practices.
Shirley McNeal, owner of My Southern Home Place…The Bargain Store for Wholesale Home Décor, Home Garden Accents and Unique Gifts and Collectibles located at http://www.mysouthernhomeplace.com invites you to shop for items to decorate or redecorate your dream home both indoors and out. Our family operated business provides public wholesale shopping for products you will love to own and share with others. Come by today and window shop with us.
Author: Shirley McNeal
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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