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Solar Access Risk

Identify facades with higher solar-gain risk.

15 minOrientation and Site Planning
Diagram for Solar Access Risk
Orientation and Site Planning Solar Access Risk
How to use the diagram Read the visual first, then connect each label to the lesson text and your calculator inputs. The aim is to make every assumption visible before you calculate.

Learning Objective

Connect orientation decisions to fenestration and shading choices.

Solar-exposed elevations

Sun-exposed elevations require closer attention to glazing area, SHGC and shading. The aim is to avoid excessive unwanted heat gain while keeping useful daylight.

Design response

Orientation can influence window sizing, external shading, room placement and glazing specification.

Practice Task

  • Pick the two highest-risk elevations on a sample plan.
  • List one design response for each.

Calculator Tip

Use orientation groups to test options before locking in window schedules.

Worked Example: Classifying Facades

Scenario

A house has a street facade facing 18 degrees east of north, a rear facade facing south, and two side facades facing east and west.

Calculator Entry

Select the orientation that matches each outward-facing facade before checking SHGC or shading.

Step-by-step method
  1. 1Mark the north point on the plan.
  2. 2Draw an outward arrow perpendicular to each external facade.
  3. 3Assign each facade to the correct orientation sector.
  4. 4Use the same sector labels in fenestration, shading and reporting notes.
Expected conclusion

The result is a defensible orientation schedule that another reviewer can follow.

Common Mistakes

  • Labelling rooms by name instead of using the outward-facing facade direction.
  • Treating angled facades casually without documenting the selected sector.
  • Changing orientation assumptions between fenestration, shading and reporting.

Quick Knowledge Check

1. What should you confirm before applying this lesson to a project?

Solar-risk elevations are identified.

2. Which piece of evidence should support the main input in this lesson?

Pick the two highest-risk elevations on a sample plan.

3. What is the safest action if the information is incomplete?

Flag the missing evidence, use a conservative assumption where appropriate, and avoid claiming compliance until the information is confirmed.

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