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Siting - A sunspace must face south. Due solar south is ideal, but 30 degrees east or west of due south is acceptable. If your project is a retrofit, consider how the new addition will look on the south side of your house. If the south side faces the street, the design must be well integrated into the home to avoid a "tacked-on" look. And, you will need to protect your family's privacy. If the south side of your house faces the backyard, privacy may be less of an issue.
Because the sun is low in the sky in the winter, any obstacle over 10 feet (3 meters) tall within 15 feet (4.6 meters) of the south glazing is likely to block solar gain. If the sunspace will be shaded only in the early morning or late afternoon, there is no major cause for concern. It is important, however, that the space receive direct sunlight between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Do not plant trees near the south glazing, and seriously consider removing existing trees from the area. Contrary to prior opinion, even deciduous trees that lose their leaves in the winter are capable of blocking the sun. In fact, a mature, well-formed deciduous tree will screen more than 40% of the winter sunlight passing through its branch structure.
If you have a choice, locate the sunspace so that the walls of the house serve as one or both end walls of the sunspace (to reduce heat loss) and the addition is adjacent to kitchens, dining areas, children's playrooms, and family living areas occupied during the day and early evening.
Heat Distribution - Warm air can be blown through ductwork to other living areas. It can also move passively from the sunspace into the house through doors, vents, or open windows between the sunspace and the interior living space. Strategically placed openings in the common wall can distribute the warmed air from the sunspace to the house by the "thermosiphoning" circulation of the air. In a thermosiphon, warm air rises in the sunspace and passes into the adjoining space through an opening, and cool air from the adjoining space is drawn into the sunspace to be heated.
The minimum opening should be about 8 square feet (0.7 square meters) per 100 square feet (9.3 square meters) of glazing area. If the design calls for two openings—one high in the sunspace and one low—the minimum area for each opening is approximately 2.5 square feet (0.2 square meters) per 100 square feet (9.3 square meters) of glazing, with 8 vertical feet (2.4 meters) of separation. Again, these are rules of thumb that should be refined through computer modeling or confirmed with local experts. An uninsulated masonry wall between the house and the sunspace will also transfer some heat into the living space by conduction.
Glazing: Sloped or Vertical? - Although sloped glazing collects more heat in the winter, many designers prefer vertical glazing or a combination of vertical and sloped glazing. Sloped glazing loses more heat at night and can cause overheating in warmer weather. Vertical glazing allows maximum gain in winter, when the angle of the sun is low, and less heat gain as the sun rises toward its summer zenith. A well- designed overhang may be all that is necessary to shade the glazing in the summer. Compared with sloped glazing, vertical glazing is less expensive, easier to install and insulate, and not as prone to leaking, fogging, breaking, and other glazing failures. Vertical glazing is often more aesthetically compatible with the design of existing homes.
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