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 Copyright 2005 SolarQuest®

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 Copyright 2005 SolarQuest®

Unique Requirements for North Elevation reduced window size insulating hard-coat low-e glass lets in more north sky light South Copyright 2005 SolarQuest®

Unique Requirements for East and West Elevations reduced window size insulating soft coat low-e glass exterior shades South Copyright 2005 SolarQuest®

Unique Requirements for South Elevation overhang provides shade in summer insulating hard-coat low-e glass allows high heat gain in winter South Copyright 2005 SolarQuest®

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. Copyright 2005 SolarQuest®

Remedies for SW & SE Elevations What if a South-East or South-West elevation cannot be avoided? South Copyright 2005 SolarQuest®

Following the Old Cow Paths … Copyright 2005 SolarQuest®

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 Copyright 2005 SolarQuest®

Eventually… Copyright 2005 SolarQuest®

So much for good intentions. Stay tuned… Copyright 2005 SolarQuest®