Design your house so that the longest elevation faces Southwards on your site.

Design your house so that as many of the rooms as possible are facing South and have access to the Southern Sun.

Create as much glass surface as possible on the southern side of your house and as little as possible on the Northern side. Remember that nowadays you can purchase glass to many specifications and it is important to use glazed units that will keep you warm and protected in those cool winter months. Always check the quality of your glazing when purchasing windows and doors.

Try and position rooms such as toilets, pantry’s, utilities, hallways, store rooms etc. to the Northern side and place kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms and sun-rooms to the Southern side.

If you are using a lot of glass then design your house with an overhanging roof (2 to 3 feet overhang). This protects your house from too much Summer sun and heat but allows you obtain the maximum from the low winter sun for both passive heat and light. It also offers increased protection to your doors, windows and walls when the rain is pouring down. If constructing a dormer type house then this particular method of construction will offer you much more space on the upper level also.

Use as much insulation as possible where possible.

Solar panels are now very efficient and if you can afford to install one or two then it will pay dividends, even in Ireland. One solar panel will save you about 100 litres of oil per year on water heating alone.

If you really like comfort then use warm materials internally such as timber . There are so many different types of timber to choose from and most of these are now coming from managed and sustainable forests. Why logically, would you use tiles on bathroom walls and floors. Tiles may well have a romantic Latin flavour about them but they are designed for warm countries for the purpose of keeping cool. Timber, on the other hand, is warm, natural and gentle and much more suited to a cooler climate. Use Cedar cladding in the bathroom and you will never look back. It pays to source correctly as you can save a lot when purchasing timber. Also check the quality of wood and the drying procedure used and dryness attained.

Use half flush toilets if you are environmentally conscious. These do the business very efficiently and will save you huge amounts of water.

Plant trees where possible on site. Your house will benefit from sheltered protection from blowing wind and rain. A belt of trees on the North facing side will pay dividends while keeping the Southern side reasonably free to take advantage of Sun. Always get advice when planting trees. Some trees like Cedars grow wide and tall and will soon block light from your house unless you have sufficient space for them to grow.