When going the Passive House route, the amount of light a window lets in should be considered. During summer, we want less light. During winter, more. Because the sun sits lower during winter, overhangs can be used to control the light intake. Given that, how do we figure out the exact dimensions of the awning to allow for the perfect amount of light? Fortunately, there are free tools to help with the calculations. Not every window needs to have the perfect shade and light combination, but it gives us a target to aim for. Given our climate zone, the table looks like this:
| Window Height | Awning height above window | Awning depth |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 1.5 |
| 4 | 1.4 | 2 |
| 5 | 1.8 | 2.5 |
| 6 | 2.1 | 3 |
| 7 | 2.4 | 3.5 |
| 8 | 2.8 | 4 |
| 20 | 7 | 10 |
