Passively Cool the Building

Implementing passive cooling strategies is an essential way to reduce or eliminate heat in a space without increasing the building’s overall energy use.

It is advised that some of these strategies be applied to a dwelling during the earlier stage of its construction, and some can be included after the building's construction to aid with the mitigation of overheating and poor indoor air quality. Additional details on the use of passive design strategies to assist with increasing the dwelling's energy efficiency can be found in the main body of the design guide.

Building Orientation

Building orientation is a key feature that can help mitigate overheating through solar exposure and daytime heat gains. Passive design strategies, especially careful building orientation, can reduce or even eliminate the use of active cooling systems (Ozarisoy, 2022b).

Best orientation to reduce overheating

north-south. In Ireland’s temperate climate, the most favourable orientation to mitigate overheating is north-south, where the longest façades face north or south (Albatayneh, 2018). This arrangement regulates solar gain throughout the seasons

South-facing windows

receive the most sunlight, which can be beneficial in winter but may contribute to overheating in summer (Albatayneh, 2018).

East and west-facing windows

They are more prone to overheating due to low-angle morning and evening sun. Reducing the glazing area on these façades or incorporating shading devices can help mitigate excessive heat gains (Albatayneh, 2018).