Analyze Your Situation

• 1). Track the sun's position. The sun changes position daily and seasonally. The key is to observe the location of the sun in the winter for your particular situation. Know where the sun rises in winter, how high in the sky it gets at midday and where it sets. Using your compass, orient yourself in relation to your house.
  
  
• 2). Draw a sketch of your situation. Draw a rough sketch of your house oriented properly according to the compass directions. This does not have to be to scale or a major work of art. You are simply identifying the north, south, east and west sides of your house.
  
  
• 3). Identify your window directions. At any given time of the day only one or at most two sides of your house will be receiving direct sunlight. Identify which windows receive morning light, which receive midday light and which receive afternoon sunlight.
  
  

Maximize Heat Gain While Minimizing Loss

• 1). Open curtains at the right time of day. Curtains on windows facing the sun should be open while those away from the sun should be closed. Generally, this means open east-facing curtains in the morning and west-facing curtains in the afternoon.
  
  
• 2). Trim bushes and tree branches that are shading windows. Plants are trying to compete for the available solar energy. Keep them cut back so they won't steal the energy that should be coming in your windows.
  
  
• 3). Arrange massive items to store heat. Place large items such as planters and water jugs in the sunlight so they will store the solar energy and release it slowly. This will help prevent sunny rooms from overheating.
  
  
• 4). Add stone, brick or tile to interior walls and floors that are warmed by long periods of sunlight. These items are all good sources of thermal mass and will store heat better than typical plaster walls.
  
  
• 5). Caulk and insulate cracks that allow heat to escape or cause drafts. Solar energy must be trapped once it enters your home. A cold draft makes even a warm house feel cold.