3 Things to Know About Passive Solar Heat

Posted by: Ken Mariotti

Soaring costs for heating and cooling our homes, energy efficiency becomes a priority. Homes are becoming better insulated and sealed allowing the heating and cooling systems to operate at peak efficiencies, reducing usage and costs. The next leap in efficient home design and maintenance is maximizing passive solar heating and natural ventilation. Windows play an invaluable role in the performance of our houses and today’s window options can provide a custom energy efficient solution for your unique house. 

Wikipedia

As a child, before air conditioning was built into most homes, I remember summertime when my mother would open all the windows at night or the very early morning to cool off the house. Then, about 10:00 am she’d close them and pull the drapes to keep the house cool the entire day. Granted the house was dark and stuffy, but compared to the 100º temperatures outside it was a haven.

Today we hear about home energy assessments to measure airtightness, or dual pane low-e windows to manage solar heat, or low U factors to measure performance, but do we really know what these mean for our own home?

Most people don’t know how to remodel or design a new home applying energy efficient principles. While there are multiple things that go into making a house energy efficient, there are three basic principles when selecting your windows: the orientation, the glass, and ventilation.

Window Orientation

If you are remodeling your home or designing a new one the sizes and locations of windows should be based on the cardinal directions of the house – north, south, east, and west.

North/south oriented windows are the best option for visual and thermal comfort and accommodate larger glass openings without over heating, compared to east/west facing windows.

• North-facing windows admit even, natural light with little glare and almost no unwanted summer heat gain

• South-facing windows provide the most winter sunlight but little direct sun during the summer

East/West facing windows receive direct daylight at certain times of the day, which is often preferred for breakfast rooms or sunrooms and should be equipped with shading options.

• East-facing windows provide morning sun, but sunlight entering at low angles often leads to blinds down and lights on and offers little heating in the winter

• West-facing windows allow the afternoon and summer evening light to lengthen the day, may require blinds to cut the glare and invites little heat in winter

Glass

Robert G McArthur Studios

Selecting the right glass depends on the location of your windows and the geographical region of your home. Low-e has become a universal term for energy efficient coating applied to the window glass. Actually, advances in glass coatings and new regional energy codes, Low-e options can be customized to your home’s requirements. Whether you need high light and low heat or greater protection from fading – there’s a Low-e for your requirement. Next week’s blog will explain your glass options in detail.

Ventilation

When remodeling or designing a new home select window styles and window locations that optimize ventilation for added comfort and efficiency.

Fresh air circulation makes a huge difference in your well being while indoors. Educate your self on the many options including skylights with automatic sensors for opening and closing or awning transom windows above interior doors to circulate fresh air throughout your home.

With so many options available to customize window energy performance throughout your home it can be confusing. Remember this, select the right type of window style for the window location and specify the finish and size of the glass. If you do these things, you can improve the energy efficiency and comfort of your home.

When you’re planning a remodel don’t get caught in the trap of assigning less importance to these aspects of your home. Instead, know that there are unlimited possibilities for managing the light and climate in your home and build these options into your plans.

To Build a Great Sunroom - Focus on Form and Function

Posted by: Ken Mariotti

We all remember the first time we heard the idea, ‘form and function’ in an art class or maybe an introduction to landscaping. We learned that form and function together create something appealing and useful. One without the other and eventually the product lands in the trash heap. 

Great sunroom design derives from the principle of form and function.

Source:  sunboss.com 

The previous blog, Sunrooms that Connect the Indoors to the Outdoors explained that the type of sunroom you choose derives from having clear goals about how you want to use it. This blog explains how the design, products and installation decisions come from an understanding of the elements that make a great sunroom.

If you create the right form by focusing on energy efficiency you will achieve the optimal sunroom function of comfort and savings.

Contrary to the ads and flyers, sunrooms are not just glass walls surrounding happy people. Use the methods below to create a well-designed sunroom that provides daylight and comfort all year. Homeowners and building professionals need to pay attention to five elements of the sunroom construction to avoid mistakes that you’ll realize when it’s too late.

Source: solarenergyfactsblog.com

 Five elements of a great sunroom

 1. Orientation

 2. Glazing

 3. Thermal Mass

 4. Insulation

 5. Ventilation

Orientation. The ideal location for your sunroom is to face due south (30º E or W) which gives you the maximum potential for solar collection. The goal is at least four hours of sunlight at midday in midwinter. Sit in the spot at different times of the day to be sure the sun shines on the location with minimum obstruction from trees or structures. If you were building a new home with a sunroom, be build close to the north property line leaving more open space and sunlight behind the sunroom.

Source: Elliottwood.co.uk

Glazing.  Always use glass, rather than plastic alternatives because it’s more durable and traps more heat. We recommend vertical dual clear glass panes, rather than sloped glazing because it’s more practical and efficient. Slopped glazing collects more heat during the day and looses more heat at night making the temperature too hard to control. Low E or reflective glazing can prevent solar heat from entering the sunroom through the glass. Solid insulated walls are recommended on the east and west sides, however if an access glass door is needed, install it on the east side if there is an option. Solid walls reduce unwanted solar gain and nighttime heat loss.

Thermal Mass. Attention to the types of building materials further adds to your ability to control the sunroom temperature. For example, using concrete, stone or tile floors, which absorb and hold heat, rather than carpet or wood will improve the natural heating and cooling efficiency. Basically, these materials are natures time release capsules that allow buildings to store and release heat in step with daily heating and cooling needs. That’s why we wear dark clothes in the winter and light clothes in the summer for instance.

Source: Pinterest

Insulation. Structural insulated panels (SIPs) provide the best moisture barrier than any other choice in the market today. Add a fully fiberglass insulted roof with an R value of 20-50 and you’ve covered the primary sources of heat loss and temperature control. The wall between the sunroom and the house can be insulated with conductive materials to encourage heat transfer between the rooms if desirable.

Ventilation. Here’s the final element, which along with thermal mass can control the temperature swings in your sunroom. It’s said that depending on your climate, and we know that ours always swings to the extremes in both directions, sunroom temperatures can swing between 40º-100º. Installing operable vents at the top and bottom of the sunroom will facilitate airflow and eliminate extreme temperature swings. Other measures include cross breezes from windows and doors, skylights or sidewall vents.

Source: Andersenwindows.com

Understanding how a sunroom works before you add one to your home will allow you to avoid the mistakes most people make that cause the room to be either too hot or too cold, too bright for reading or too much humidity producing moisture stained windows.

Hear from customer’s who’ve bought sunrooms from Woodland Exteriors at www.woodlandwindows.com or visit our showroom to see the products yourself. A Woodland sunroom meets the National Sunroom Association codes. Woodland sunrooms are designed and installed to maximize daylight and comfort – form and function matter.

Lighten Up Your Winter This Year

Posted By: Ken Mariotti

After last year’s winter, the very thought that winter is coming evokes dread in most Illinoisans. Rain, snow and ice are tough, especially in record cold. Did you know that last December the average daily low temperature was 18˚F? For many people, gray skies that deprive them of natural light are the real scrooge.  In December 2013 81% of days were cloudy, including one long spell of cloudy weather lasting 11 consecutive days. Winter’s hard and it is a season when you don’t get enough light, so why not add light to your home and brighten your spirits this winter?

If you’ve dreamed of becoming a snowbird and escaping to Florida, or if you’ve imagined a brighter future for yourself living in the southern hemisphere, then you’re still rational. If you think this winter is going to be different than prior winters – we won’t mention last winter – you are becoming irrational.

If either state describes you, consider the words of the American painter, Walter Andersen, “Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action.” It’s November, you’ve got time to quiet your anxiety and take action to make a change before old man winter robs you of your cheery disposition. 

Have you ever heard the term daylighting? Daylighting refers to the practice of placing windows and reflective surfaces so that during the day natural light provides effective internal lighting. If you maximize the amount of light that enters your home, your visual comfort will increase and you’ll also reduce the use of electric lights, saving you money. So what can you do to apply the principles of daylighting in your existing home and do so before winter?  

There are multiple ways to achieve this affect, including adding windows to your home, lowering, raising, or enlarging a window, or adding skylights to light interior spaces.

Skylights or roof windows can be placed into a roof, either sloped or horizontal and are designed to provide daylighting and ventilation. Today’s skylights are made from dual pane, triple-coated with Lo-E3 dual-sealed glass providing you with energy efficiency and comfort. And Velux glass coating is designed to keep the glass clean, giving you a better view. Properly positioned skylights can be installed to avoid admitting direct sun on task surfaces or into your eyes by bouncing the light off white walls or adding appropriate climate controls to balance emitted light throughout the day. Basically, it is transmitting light where there was no light before – emitting natural light – and happiness - during those dark days of winter.

Velux skylights and roof windows can take the darkest room and brighten it while eliminating the harsh color shifts of incandescent and florescent lighting and reduce your winter electric bills. Adding skylights allows the full light spectrum or natural light to enter your room and the effect that has on you physically, emotionally and psychologically is well documented. Available in multiple designs, Velux can accommodate multiple rooflines and the flat design provides a sleek look. Depending on your needs, skylights also come as fixed with a wood frame or vented models with either a manual rod for opening and closing or a solar powered remote option. If you’re interested in factory installed blinds complete with a built in solar panel power source, you’ll be able to control the amount of light you want and may qualify for a 30% Federal tax credit.

What spaces can you improve in your home by adding more natural light, your kitchen, the breakfast nook or maybe, your favorite corner near the fireplace? Can you imagine yourself enjoying natural light brightening up any of these spaces in your home? Last December the average daily low temperature was 18ºF. Winter is just around the corner. If you don’t want to relive the winter of 2013 why not make a change, take action and check out Velux skylights and roof windows before winter arrives at your house?