Glass and building orientation

Loving Glass Series 

If your budget or building site capabilities limits your ability to choose energy efficient glazing for all windows in the home, then you can choose to use Low E glass or double glazing in only some rooms. If you choose to do this, it is important to consider the direction of specific areas of the home. This aspect of home design is called orientation.

According to YourHome, "good orientation, combined with other energy efficiency features, can reduce or even eliminate the need for auxiliary heating and cooling, resulting in lower energy bills, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and improved comfort. It takes account of summer and winter variations in the sun’s path as well as the direction and type of winds, such as cooling breeze."

High performance glass and windows, when considered as part of the building design, can create comfortable spaces which takes advantage of the way the sun hits the home at different points of the seasons.

We know not everyone is in a position to build a new home, knock down their current home or even replace the entire set of windows in a home. However, it is worth keeping in mind that you can invest in better performing windows in specific areas of the home which cop the brunt of the sun to ensure a cooler space in summer. High performance glazing will also create conditions to maintain a more ambient temperature through winter.

Instead of settling for smaller windows, consider better performing double glazing or Low E glass like LightBridge next™, LightBridge™ or SmartGlass™ to support your home through all seasons.

Speak with your glazier, window fabricator, builder or architect to support your glass selection in line with the home's orientation. 

Read more technical detail about direction and orientation on the YourHome website here. 

Scott Clarkson is a Building Performance Expert and runs Clarkson Consulting, he explains more choosing different types of glazing for different places in the home. Take a look!