I worked for 5 years in an architectural firm working in the energy efficiency/ sustainability space. Here are some things I learnt while working there about making buildings that are comfortable to live in, and have reduced energy consumption in comparison to buildings that do not incorporate such measures.
There are two types of building energy efficiency strategies- active and passive. Active strategies are those used to make buildings more comfortable or reduce energy bills after the construction is finished- for example, using air conditioning to make an office cooler, or installing solar panels to reduce energy consumption. Passive strategies are those that are incorporated into the design and construction of your structure.
I’ll write about passive strategies.
Constructions made with passive design strategies are automatically more comfortable to live in, since they are planned to be climate responsive to the area in which they are situated. For example, a house built in cold climate will be snug if it is well insulated, thus keeping the house warm. At the same time, a well insulated house in an area with hot weather will also do well with insulation, so that external temperatures do not make the living spaces warm.
Airflow
Designing openings in buildings such as fenestration, or doorways that allow air flow into and out of the room at body height helps removing carbon dioxide and harmful chemicals released by the various paraphernalia kept inside the building as well as wall paints, tiles, etc., body odors, other smells, and make the room cooler. Try to place the openings so that air circulates around the room before it exits. This can be done by not placing openings exactly opposite each other so that air does not come in and leave in a straight line, or placing them too close together so that air does not exit before circulating the room.
Light
Design your structure so that you need as little artificial light as possible, while also minimising the loss of internal temperature.
In cold areas, sunlight is at a premium, and large glass façades allow light inside the house. Glass also facilitates a greenhouse effect, which will also help capture any warmth into the construction.
In hot climates, make sure you get indirect sunlight into the house by bouncing direct sunlight into the building, rather than having a large glass section in the building envelope that allows direct daylight in, thereby heating the space (thus requiring artificial space cooling), and dazzling people’s eyes (thus requiring window drapery to block the light, and artificial lights to illuminate the space).
Overhangs are horizontal shades above the opening, and fins that may be vertical or horizontal will help with shade. Using extensions under windows that receive direct sunlight, which then bounces off them and into the room, allows indirect sunlight to illuminate the interior. Such construction design can be used in combination to help protect your building interiors from direct sunlight, while also reducing the use of artificial lighting during daytime.
Orientation
In the northern hemisphere, buildings that have windows or living spaces in the East or West directions will be uncomfortably hot in warmer climes, either seasonally or through the year- especially those in the West, as that region will have the hot afternoon Sun. North facing windows allow glare free light into the structure, while south facing windows also allow heat into the structures, great for geographies that are usually cooler.
In the southern hemisphere, our Sun occupies the northern sky more than the southern sky, therefore fenestration facing the south will allow for a cooler house, and therefore be better for warmer climates.
Building Envelope
The building envelope is the entire wrapping around any building- just like a pig’s skin keeps the pig together, the building’s envelope defines where the building is, and includes the outside walls, windows, doors, and the roof.
Make your building so that it keeps the insides of the building inside as much as possible- that is, use material that will last the test of time as well as any disastrous events (natural or otherwise) as well as release as few harmful fumes as possible, use good quality weather proofing such as insulation so that the temperatures on the inside are comfortable through the year (especially in regions with large differences between indoor and outdoor temperatures), water proofing that protects the building from dampness and mold, build in slants into the roof to help remove precipitation from it, and in hot zones, use cool roof techniques.
Neighbourhood
If your structure is short, surrounded by tall buildings, it will be naturally shaded. In case it is the opposite, you’ll benefit from Sunlight. Given the average climate in your geography, either can be great, or not so great.
The number of trees in the neighbourhood will also help cool the area, as well as slow down the wind (both, the hot summer winds and the cold winter ones).
If you’re situated downhill and in a heavy rainfall area, your basement and ground levels may flood easily.
Researching all the above points before you invest in your structure, either by building one or buying an already built construction will help you make the right decisions.
Chasing Tales 