Framing and Passive Solar Heating

When we were looking for a lot I was pretty insistent on finding a spot with a great southern exposure. It was seriously a challenge to find something in our budget that was the size we wanted, in the school boundaries we wanted, and have the exposure we wanted. We had quite a few stressful months of looking and even when we were signing the offer I was not convinced but now I am so glad we will be where we are!

I really wanted to get a southern exposure to maximize the amount of winter sun to warm the house and minimize the summer sun, yet let a lot of light in so that we can keep lights off during the day. I studied passive solar heating in school a little bit and knew I wanted to try and use the ideas for our house. The whole back of our house faces south and is full of windows and a set of french doors. The eaves on the southern side are extended to keep out the summer heat but will be just the right length to let the lower winter sun in and warm the main rooms of the house. We will also plant well placed trees around the house to take advantage of the shade in the warmer months. Hopefully we will be able to cut down on our energy bills and let nature heat our house.