Editing Passive solar building design (section)

==Design elements for residential buildings in temperate climates==
* Placement of room-types, internal doors and walls, and equipment in the house.
* Orienting the building to face the equator (or a few degrees to the East to capture the morning sun)<ref name="autogenerated2" />
* Extending the building dimension along the east–west axis
* Adequately sizing windows to face the midday sun in the winter, and be shaded in the summer.
* Minimising windows on other sides, especially western windows<ref name=fs18a/>
* Erecting correctly sized, latitude-specific roof overhangs,<ref>{{cite journal|last=Springer|first=John L.|date=December 1954|title=The 'Big Piece' Way to Build|journal=Popular Science|volume=165|issue=6|page=157|url=http://www.popsci.com/archive-viewer?id=1yADAAAAMBAJ&pg=157&query=1955}}</ref> or shading elements (shrubbery, trees, trellises, fences, shutters, etc.)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs44.html|title=Your Home Technical Manual - 4.4 Shading - Part 1|date=21 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121220047/http://www.yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs44.html|archive-date=2012-01-21}}</ref>
* Using the appropriate amount and type of [[building insulation|insulation]] including radiant barriers and bulk insulation to minimise seasonal excessive heat gain or loss
* Using [[thermal mass]] to store excess solar energy during the winter day (which is then re-radiated during the night)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs49.html|title=Your Home Technical Manual - 4.9 Thermal Mass|date=16 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110216201057/http://yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs49.html|archive-date=2011-02-16}}</ref>

The precise amount of equator-facing glass and thermal mass should be based on careful consideration of latitude, altitude, climatic conditions, and heating/cooling [[degree day]] requirements.

Factors that can degrade thermal performance:

* Deviation from ideal orientation and north–south/east/west aspect ratio
* Excessive glass area ("over-glazing") resulting in overheating (also resulting in glare and fading of soft furnishings) and heat loss when ambient air temperatures fall
* Installing glazing where solar gain during the day and thermal losses during the night cannot be controlled easily e.g. West-facing, angled glazing, skylights<ref>{{cite web | title = Introductory Passive Solar Energy Technology Overview | publisher = U.S. DOE – ORNL Passive Solar Workshop | url = http://www.passivesolarenergy.info/#S1 | access-date = 2007-12-23 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190329110034/http://passivesolarenergy.info/#S1 | archive-date = 2019-03-29 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
* Thermal losses through non-insulated or unprotected glazing
* Lack of adequate shading during seasonal periods of high solar gain (especially on the West wall)
* Incorrect application of [[thermal mass]] to modulate daily temperature variations
* Open staircases leading to unequal distribution of warm air between upper and lower floors as warm air rises
* High building surface area to volume, e.g., too many corners
* Inadequate [[weatherization]] leading to high air infiltration
* Lack of, or incorrectly installed, [[radiant barrier]]s during the hot season. (See also [[cool roof]] and [[green roof]])
* [[Building insulation|Insulation materials]] that are not matched to the main mode of heat transfer (e.g. undesirable convective/conductive/radiant [[heat transfer]])