Home/Room Positioning (Using these tips will help minimize the use of heating or cooling appliances)
· Select a block of land that is longest in an East-West direction to maximise heating and cooling efficiencies
· Bedrooms south and living areas North. In Winter, your living rooms will catch maximum sun for warmth and light and in Summer your bedrooms are shielded from the sun for cooler sleeping conditions
· Try to have most windows facing North to capture Winter sun and to allow less sunlight/heat to come in the house in Summer
· Avoid placing East/West facing windows because they allow too much heat in during Summer and too much heat out during Winter
· Use correctly sized eaves to provide window shade and shade to even out heat and cold
· Planting deciduous trees in correct places will provide shade and cooling during summer.
· Tall trees on the west side offer shade from the afternoon sun and allow breezes to flow underneath
· To keep heat in Winter and keep heat out in Summer all windows should have thermal curtains to keep heat out in Summer and heat in during Winter
Insulation
· Home insulation traps heat from outside. Have your roof insulated so it traps heat meaning that it stops heat from getting inside during Summer and it keeps heat inside during Winter. It is also recommended that your windows are covered by insulating curtains. These curtains have the same principal as roof insulation but for windows. It is possible to have insulated windows but these cost a lot of money
Light (minimize use of lights/lamps)
· Have reasonably sized windows in every room to reduce electrical light use during the day
· Skylights on the ceiling also let light flood into rooms during the day, resembling a light bulb
· Replace ordinary light bulbs with the new energy efficient ones
· Select a block of land that is longest in an East-West direction to maximise heating and cooling efficiencies
· Bedrooms south and living areas North. In Winter, your living rooms will catch maximum sun for warmth and light and in Summer your bedrooms are shielded from the sun for cooler sleeping conditions
· Try to have most windows facing North to capture Winter sun and to allow less sunlight/heat to come in the house in Summer
· Avoid placing East/West facing windows because they allow too much heat in during Summer and too much heat out during Winter
· Use correctly sized eaves to provide window shade and shade to even out heat and cold
· Planting deciduous trees in correct places will provide shade and cooling during summer.
· Tall trees on the west side offer shade from the afternoon sun and allow breezes to flow underneath
· To keep heat in Winter and keep heat out in Summer all windows should have thermal curtains to keep heat out in Summer and heat in during Winter
Insulation
· Home insulation traps heat from outside. Have your roof insulated so it traps heat meaning that it stops heat from getting inside during Summer and it keeps heat inside during Winter. It is also recommended that your windows are covered by insulating curtains. These curtains have the same principal as roof insulation but for windows. It is possible to have insulated windows but these cost a lot of money
Light (minimize use of lights/lamps)
· Have reasonably sized windows in every room to reduce electrical light use during the day
· Skylights on the ceiling also let light flood into rooms during the day, resembling a light bulb
· Replace ordinary light bulbs with the new energy efficient ones