Energy Savings - Cooling/Heating
 
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     We are most content when our surroundings are in the Comfort Zone.  That is an ambient temperature of 21 degrees celcius and 50% relative humidity.  For this reason many cultures developed techniques to survive in the harshest weather making their buildings or homes the place where they developed and used their research. With such traditional sources of information we can design buildings that can be cooled cheaply and efficiently.

example of constructing a wooden brise-soleil
[click image for more detailed information]

    Reducing unwanted heat is the first step. Building orientation, shape, mass, material, roof colour, shading and landscaping contribute to space cooling.  The basic idea is to insulate the outside from the inside, and to prevent direct sunlight from entering the space.  Here roof overhangs and brise-soleil (louvres) can be used to allow daylight to enter without the direct rays from the  sun.  Green buildings should be design with natural ventilation in mind to ensure indoor air quality and reduce cooling bills.  Massive walls with air spaces in between are another basic component of space cooling; during the night they cool and then release their coolness during the day.  For example adobe homes in Albuquerque, even uninsulated ones will stay 15 - 20 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the midday temperature.
    Many of the same design measures that make a green building easier to cool also make it easier to heat.  The basic strategy is to minimize heat loss through the building shell.  Here it is important  to capture as much sun's heat as possible. The combination of good insulation with passive solar design is  sometimes all you need to keep a house warm during the winter (see headquarters of Rocky Mountain Institute).  If the climate demands furnaces, using natural gas heating is cheaper and cleaner than electricity or wood.  In places such as Québec and British Columbia where hydro-electricity is used, it is debatable which form of energy is less polluting.
    When a heater is used, it  is much better to heat a thermal mass, preferably a solid masonry or concrete  floor.  In that way heat is stored and liberated when there is a change of temperature in the room. Normal fireplaces are not a good source of heat, because most of their energy goes up the chimney; however, there are many wood heaters that can be inserted into fireplaces.  They are designed to not only be attractive, but also efficiently heat a home.  They come in many different sizes and are preferred forms of home heating in many rural locations.  There are also versions that will burn grains or other abundant materials rather than wood.  Note that if many city dwellers were to resort to such methods of heating, cities would soon be choked with chimney smoke during the winter season.