A residential house in a simple design made of two final materials. The orientation of the house on the plot to the south side is important, although the conditions of the built-up area and distances from neighbouring properties may not be favourable.
Passive solar gains are the energy that penetrates the house through the glazed parts of the envelope. The effective collection area of a window is the product of the window area and several factors corresponding to the its quality and materials, including its shading means. A 90-degree deviation of the main façade of a passive house from the ideal south reduces solar gains by up to 37% (according to simulations at the Passive House Institute in Darmstadt).
All of this will contribute to an increase in the specific heat demand and thus increase the total heating costs of the house by up to 1/3. In summer, we protect the windows with shading technology of various designs, but in the winter months, solar energy is our friend. We need to give the sun a chance in our projects!