AC-2754 -- Street Orientation and Energy Consumption in Residences PDF

The object of the study was to determine if an optimum street orientation exists, and, if so, how much energy it would help save. A computer program was thus prepared to study the dynamic behavior of a house during a full year as a function of orientation. The results of the analysis show that an optimum orientation exists. For a typical house located in Quebec city, that condition occurs when the front of the house faces 20 degrees east of south. That orientation leads to much smaller seasonal heating and cooling loads. The maximum instantaneous heat load, which occurs during winter’s coldest days, is also significantly reduced.