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Roof Overhangs Project Lower Energy Costs
Make a dramatic style statement and lower home energy bills with a deep roof overhang on your house
I write about interior design and architecture, and take what I learn into my own home (you may find me sanding and painting a kitchen table on the weekends). You can find my articles, published in Apartment Therapy, Architect, Eco-Structure, GRAY, Preservation, The Washington Post and more, at lindseymroberts.com.
I write about interior design and architecture, and take what I learn into... More »
Summer is coming upon us swiftly. Soon, if you are in the Northwest U.S., you will be outside enjoying all the sun you can get. If you are in the Southeast, you will be inside with air conditioning, taking a break from heat and humidity.
But no matter your locale, there is one building feature that can aid in summer cooling and winter warming: deep roof overhangs. Depending on depth and placement, large overhangs (or even strategic awnings) can shade a house in the summer and still allow warm light in in the winter.
In general, a south-facing overhang will direct the sun's rays lower on the window, allowing less light in and preventing that light from heating up the house in the summer. This means less need for air conditioning, less energy used and less money spent.
A good overhang will also allow more winter light to penetrate a building than summer light, thereby allowing light and heat in during the cooler months, which again saves in energy and electricity costs.
Overhangs are most effective for south-facing elements (in the northern hemisphere) and at midday. If the building element bears more than about 30 degrees off true south, the effectiveness of an overhang decreases, says the U.S. Department of Energy.
Even if you aren't interested in saving money by reducing cooling costs, large roof overhangs can still provide shelter and help protect a house from bad weather. Oh, and they look good, too.
But no matter your locale, there is one building feature that can aid in summer cooling and winter warming: deep roof overhangs. Depending on depth and placement, large overhangs (or even strategic awnings) can shade a house in the summer and still allow warm light in in the winter.
In general, a south-facing overhang will direct the sun's rays lower on the window, allowing less light in and preventing that light from heating up the house in the summer. This means less need for air conditioning, less energy used and less money spent.
A good overhang will also allow more winter light to penetrate a building than summer light, thereby allowing light and heat in during the cooler months, which again saves in energy and electricity costs.
Overhangs are most effective for south-facing elements (in the northern hemisphere) and at midday. If the building element bears more than about 30 degrees off true south, the effectiveness of an overhang decreases, says the U.S. Department of Energy.
Even if you aren't interested in saving money by reducing cooling costs, large roof overhangs can still provide shelter and help protect a house from bad weather. Oh, and they look good, too.
| Large roof overhangs on a house by Coates Design Architects in Seattle do more than put a modernist stamp on the structure. They also protect it from the Pacific Northwest's driving winter rain and mitigate hot summer sun. |
This diagram from the U.S. Department of Energy shows how a roof overhang can prevent hot summer sun from getting in. Here, the summer sun's angles are directed at the ground.
But that same smartly oriented overhang can also allow maximum light during the winter, as shown, when you want that extra bit of heat.
Diagram via DOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
But that same smartly oriented overhang can also allow maximum light during the winter, as shown, when you want that extra bit of heat.
Diagram via DOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
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| Roof overhangs can be all sizes, and they need not be purely utilitarian. This one, on another Pacific Northwest house, provides all the benefits of passive cooling and weather protection, but it's the drama of the overhang that may matter most. This house would be aesthetically naked without this roof. |
| A diagram by One Seed Architecture + Interiors in Vancouver, British Columbia, shows how roof overhangs block southern sun but how south-facing glazing allows full sunlight exposure. In this house, the thermal block walls — exposed to the sun during the winter — also absorb that winter sunlight and distribute the heat throughout the day, helping to warm the house. |
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Not all roof overhangs are designed solely for passive cooling. This one is a quirky architectural addition, and it also protects people at the door from wind, rain and snow.
Besides providing passive cooling and shelter, as in this example, roof overhangs also save doors and windows from bad weather (saving you money), and protect a house's exterior and foundation from water runnoff.
Besides providing passive cooling and shelter, as in this example, roof overhangs also save doors and windows from bad weather (saving you money), and protect a house's exterior and foundation from water runnoff.
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| The roof overhang on this house in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, by Finne Architects, protects the house from sun, yes, but also from the Midwest's heavy snow. The Department of Energy has some region-specific recommendations for roof overhangs:
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| A house by John Maniscalco Architecture, covered in snow, showcases a surprising green benefit to large, flat roofs with overhangs: Light from interior and exterior fixtures is reflected and spread by the underside of the roof. This means fewer light fixtures and less energy used. See more of this mountain retreat |
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| This house in Mississippi by Beard + Riser Architects is oriented along an east-west axis to maximize solar control. The front of the house faces south and features a large overhang that folds over the edge of the roof to block direct summer sun. The translucent fiberglass panels along the porch overhang allow filtered northern light into the house. |
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| Shallow roof overhangs may be best for northern regions, but in the south, deep overhangs such as this one by The Construction Zone are ideal. |
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This house by Burton Architecture doesn't need to allow much sun and heat in, since it's in Berkeley, California. It welcomes the shade provided by this roof that wraps around two sides of the building.
Tell us: Are you considering a large roof overhang? If you have one already, please share a photo and tell us what area you live in.
More:
Entrance Canopies: The New Porch
Houzz Tour: Innovative Home, Heated and Cooled by Design
Solar-Powered Design
Tell us: Are you considering a large roof overhang? If you have one already, please share a photo and tell us what area you live in.
More:
Entrance Canopies: The New Porch
Houzz Tour: Innovative Home, Heated and Cooled by Design
Solar-Powered Design
Ideabook published on April 12, 2012.
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And good point, Patricia!