The orientation of a building in relation to the cardinal directions influences the amount of time during which its interiors are illuminated and, as a result, on the level of solar heat gains and the final energy consumption of heating. The minimum and maximum surface area of windows that a building can have is regulated through appropriate regulations of Construction Law. These regulations, however, do not provide separate guidelines regarding the amount of surface area of glazing for energy efficient buildings. Meanwhile, the recommended manner of designing windows in energy efficient buildings differs from the manner of designing them for normative buildings. Windows play a particularly important part in them, as the introduction of sunlight into a building is the simplest form of passively obtaining energy from solar radiation. According to the regulations, windows, balcony doors and external doors need to meet specific requirements regarding thermal insulation, and, as a result, need to be constructed in a particular way. The manner in which they are fitted into the opening in the wall and the proper montage of window jambs in relation to the structural layers of an external wall (its structural core and the thermal insulation layer) is also important.
Energy efficient buildings with large glazed surfaces from the southern side can suffer from interior overheating. In order to preserve thermal comfort during the summer season, it is advised to use shading mechanisms.
All of the design solutions regarding window selection for energy efficient buildings need to be verified through the use of appropriate energy analyses.

Orientacja budynku względem stron świata wpływa na czas nasłonecznienia wnętrz, a co za tym idzie na poziom zysków słonecznych i zużycie energii końcowej na ogrzewanie. Minimalną i maksymalną dopuszczalną powierzchnię okien w budynku określają odpowiednie przepisy Prawa Budowlanego. W przepisach tych nie ma jednak odrębnych zaleceń, dotyczących wielkości przeszkleń dla budynków energooszczędnych. Tymczasem rekomendowany sposób projektowania okien w budynkach energooszczędnych różni się od projektowania okien w budynkach normatywnych. Okna pełnią w nich szczególnie ważną rolę, ponieważ wprowadzenie światła dziennego do budynku poprzez okna jest najprostszą formą biernego pozyskiwania energii z promieniowania słonecznego. Zgodnie z przepisami, okna, drzwi balkonowe i drzwi zewnętrzne muszą spełniać wymagania dotyczące izolacyjności cieplnej, a więc posiadać odpowiednią konstrukcję. Istotny jest też sposób ich montażu w ościeżach ściany i odpowiednie usytuowanie ościeżnic okiennych w stosunku do warstw struktury ściany zewnętrznej (konstrukcyjnego rdzenia i warstwy termoizolacyjnej). W budynkach energooszczędnych o dużej powierzchni okien od strony południowej w okresie letnim może wystąpić problem przegrzewania wnętrz. W celu zachowania komfortu cieplnego w okresie letnim zalecane jest więc stosowanie przeciwsłonecznych urządzeń zacieniających. Wszystkie przyjęte rozwiązania projektowe w zakresie doboru okien w budynkach energooszczędnych powinny być zweryfikowane odpowiednimi analizami energetycznymi.

The influence of the orientation of a building in relation to the cardinal directions, the surface area of its glazing and the structure of windows and their method of fitting on the final energy consumption of heating in energy efficient buildings

The orientation of a building in relation to the cardinal directions influences the amount of time during which its interiors are illuminated and, as a result, on the level of solar heat gains and the final energy consumption of heating. The minimum and maximum surface area of windows that a building can have is regulated through appropriate regulations of Construction Law. These regulations, however, do not provide separate guidelines regarding the amount of surface area of glazing for energy efficient buildings. Meanwhile, the recommended manner of designing windows in energy efficient buildings differs from the manner of designing them for normative buildings. Windows play a particularly important part in them, as the introduction of sunlight into a building is the simplest form of passively obtaining energy from solar radiation. According to the regulations, windows, balcony doors and external doors need to meet specific requirements regarding thermal insulation, and, as a result, need to be constructed in a particular way. The manner in which they are fitted into the opening in the wall and the proper montage of window jambs in relation to the structural layers of an external wall (its structural core and the thermal insulation layer) is also important.
Energy efficient buildings with large glazed surfaces from the southern side can suffer from interior overheating. In order to preserve thermal comfort during the summer season, it is advised to use shading mechanisms.
All of the design solutions regarding window selection for energy efficient buildings need to be verified through the use of appropriate energy analyses.