Overview:

Summary: Doors and windows can be oriented to minimize solar heat gain and increase ventilation.

Implementation: Update design guidelines to orient doors and windows to minimize solar heat gain (e.g. north-south orientation to minimize sun exposure and windows oriented toward prevailing winds for ventilation).

Considerations for Use: This is only applicable to new developments.

• Policy Levers:
  
  
  MandateMandates are government regulations that require stakeholders to meet standards through building codes, ordinances, zoning policies, or other regulatory tools.
• Trigger Points:
  
  
  City planning processesIncludes city initiatives such as the development of climate action plan, pathway to zero-energy, master plan, transit plan, energy mapping etc.
  Introducing new or updated zoning/codesIncludes codes, zoning requirements or by-laws pertaining to urban planning and building construction activity.
• Intervention Type:
  Buildings and Built Form
• Sectors:
  Buildings

Impact:

• Target Beneficiaries:
  Property owners, Residents
• Phase of Impact:
  Risk reduction and mitigation
• Metrics:
  Decrease in surface temperature, Energy savings

Case Studies:

• Skysong in Scottsdale, AZ (UNEP, Pg 40)
• Edison Eastlake (UNEP, Pg 36)

Implementation:

• Intervention Scale:
  Building, Site
• Authority and Governance:
  City government
• Implementation Timeline:
  Short-term (1-2 Years)
• Implementation Stakeholders:
  City government, Private developers
• Funding Sources:
  private investment, Public investment
• Capacity to Act:
  High, Medium

Benefits:

• Cost-Benefit:
  Low
• Public Good:
  Low
• GHG Reduction:
  Low
• Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):
  Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• Co-benefits (Social):
  Save on utilities