Planning and landscaping. The street layout in new projects should provide building sites with unobstructed southern exposure. As a general rule, street layouts that run East-West accomplish this design objective. It is important that buildings, trees, or other obstructions do not block the sun at the most critical times of the year. Some parts of the country have solar access laws and ordinances that protect the south side of buildings.
Landscaping can maximize the availability of renewable energy to a building.
Deciduous trees, for example, can provide shade in summer and permit sunlight to strike the house directly in winter, but are still not recommended directly south of the structure. North-side evergreens can provide an effective windbreak and weather barrier. A planning scheme with tree-lined, narrow streets decreases the amount of heat absorbed during the hot summer months. This results in a cooler microclimate, creating less need for mechanical cooling. In addition, fairly dense planting around houses can direct breezes for natural cooling, or block the cold north winds during the winter months.