Whether building, buying, adding to, or remodeling a house, you should carefully consider energy conservation when choosing the site and the design for a home. When a house is in the planning stages, the decisions are critical and essentially seal the fate of many conservation techniques. Energy-saving measures taken when a house is under construction often add to building costs, but the benefits are increased comfort and lower operating costs. A home built for maximum energy conservation could reduce energy use by 50 percent. Where the house is built can be just as important in saving energy as how it is built.
Energy efficiency begins with selecting a good site, then properly locating the house on the site.
Many factors are involved in house orientation, such as the slope of the lot, noise reduction, scenic views, privacy, solar radiation, and wind. The major energy consideration is the way the sun and wind affect a given location. Ideally, the site should have a good southern exposure for maximum solar gain in the winter. The disadvantage of solar heat gain in the summer can be reduced by proper site planning and good house design and construction. Orientation Locate the dwelling on the site so the narrow ends of the structure face east and west.