Green homes are those that are eco friendly, leaving a small carbon footprint. This is often done by the use of passive heating, cooling and lighting. That is where windows come in, especially in a temperate climate. Large windows on the sunny side of the house will allow natural sunlight in to warm the room and make it lighter. Thus, there will be less need to have the heater and lights on throughout the day as is often needed for a room with small windows.
Windows and the Sun
You might think that a window that allows the sun in will make the room too hot in the summer. This is not the case. The sun is higher in the sky in the summer, so will not shine into the window as much as it does in the winter when it is low. Having wider eaves will also ensure that there is shade on the walls in the summer.
Another thing to use for passive cooling is a shrubby tree outside, that will lose its leaves in the winter, allowing the sun through. In the summer it will have leafy branches that cast shade over the windows.
Type
The kind of window is also important when it comes to being eco friendly. Remember that while sliding windows are usually large, only half the window cavity will be open. This is also true of sash windows. Louvre windows will open up the full cavity because each panel swings out to become horizontal. That said, they don’t shut as tightly as other windows and they tend to catch the dust more when open.
