This can show the exact problems or benefits to a home by building an accurate model and testing it with a heliodon. Seeing how the sun moves over the home can provide insight to improve the design. Improved environmental design can reduce the energy required to support the home. The elongated building facing south improves the function of natural ventilation since the prevailing breezes during the cooling season are generally from the south. The elongated building provides an area with less depth for utilization of cross ventilation.
Close attention needs to be paid to the openings for good ventilation.
Building form and orientation can be effective in creating and inducing ventilation. A. Organize the class into groups of four. C. Build different style house models to test on the heliodon. After reading and understanding the instructions on using the heliodon, place each model on the stand and see how the sun moves across the model during the summer, equinox and winter. F. See what improvements you can make on the models to improve the summer shading and winter exposure to the sun.