Understanding solar gain: How smart architecture can cut your energy bills and improve year-round comfort
- PiP Architects
- Jun 9
- 4 min read
UK homeowners are caught in a perfect storm. Energy bills continue to rise while our climate becomes increasingly unpredictable, from blistering summers to bone-chilling winters.
Many homes struggle to maintain comfortable temperatures year-round, leading to expensive heating and cooling costs.
The solution lies in understanding solar gain: a simple principle that can dramatically improve how your home performs throughout the seasons.
What is Solar Gain?
Solar gain is simply using sunlight to naturally warm your home. This happens through windows as sunlight streams in and heats the interior, but it can also work through walls and roofs too.
The key is thermal mass. Materials like stone, brick and concrete absorb heat during the day and slowly release it through the night. Think of old stone cottages: the thick walls create a naturally stable environment inside, where you never feel too hot or too cold.
Why is passive solar design important?
Smart solar design starts with understanding a few key principles. When these work together, we create homes that are naturally comfortable and cost far less to run.
Getting the orientation right
South-facing rooms capture the most winter warmth when the sun sits low in the sky, providing free heating exactly when you need it most. But orientation affects more than just your main living spaces. Think about where you'll spend time during different parts of the day. A south-facing kitchen benefits from morning warmth, while bedrooms might be better positioned away from potential overheating zones.
Window placement and size
Forget the bigger-is-better approach. It's about placing the right-sized windows in the right spots. A generous south-facing window provides brilliant winter heating, but that same window facing west might create uncomfortable overheating on a summer afternoon.
Window height plays a part too. Higher windows allow light to penetrate deeper into the room, while lower windows direct heat to areas where people actually spend their time, at sitting and standing height.
Shading is essential for comfort
Effective shading blocks summer sun while welcoming winter light. This works because the sun follows different paths through the seasons – soaring high overhead in summer, sweeping low across the sky in winter.
External shading like overhangs, awnings and well-positioned trees are far more effective than internal blinds, which only reduce glare after the heat has already invaded your home. A well-designed 800mm overhang makes all the difference - even 200mm less projection can turn a comfortable room into an overheating nightmare.
Material choices matter
Incorporating materials like concrete floors, internal brick walls or stone features into contemporary designs can dramatically boost comfort levels while reducing heating and cooling costs. Thick stone or brick walls bank heat during the day and release it slowly at night, keeping temperatures stable.
Lightweight materials, on the other hand, heat up fast but cool down just as quickly, creating uncomfortable temperature swings. This is why modern homes often feel less comfortable than older buildings – they’re missing that crucial thermal mass.
Maximising solar gain benefits in winter
Winter solar gain is like having a free heating system. The low winter sun streams deep into well-positioned rooms, warming up walls and floors that continue to radiate heat long after sunset.
Modern triple-glazed windows make a huge difference. High-quality windows can now outperform solid walls for keeping heat in. When properly installed, large windows will actually improve energy performance.
Even your garden can lend a hand. Deciduous trees provide cooling shade in summer but drop their leaves in winter, letting precious sunlight reach your home when you need the warmth most.
Preventing overheating in summer
The same principles that warm your home in winter can keep it cool when temperatures soar. The key is understanding how the sun's behaviour changes with the seasons.
Summer sun blazes down from overhead, making horizontal shading like roof overhangs and brise soleil highly effective. These can be designed to block the high summer sun while still letting in the lower winter light.
Well-placed trees and planting create natural shade and actually cool the air around your home through evaporation. This reduces the load on any air conditioning and can make outdoor spaces usable even on hot days.
How PiP puts solar design principles into practice
At PiP Architects, we build solar gain principles into every project from day one.
We use specialist software to test different options, adjusting window sizes, roof overhangs and building orientation until we find the perfect balance for your specific site. This means your home works with the local climate rather than fighting against it.
We create homes that are comfortable year-round, with dramatically lower energy bills and a much smaller environmental footprint.
In Fen End, our carefully designed roof overhangs provide perfect summer shading.
At Bird's Pasture Farm, sophisticated brise soleil systems filter light beautifully.
The Y-House demonstrates how strategic orientation can maximise winter sun capture.
Our Thatch House design shows how traditional roofing materials can enhance thermal performance while respecting local character.
Our clients often comment on how naturally pleasant their homes feel to live in: warm in winter, cool in summer and flooded with beautiful natural light throughout the year.
Solar gain isn't just about technical performance. It's about creating homes that feel good to live in while costing less to run.
Ready to design a home that works with nature, not against it?
Whether you're planning a new build, a major renovation or simply want to understand how your current home could perform better, solar gain principles can make a real difference to your comfort and running costs.
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