Maximising Energy Efficiency with Smart Window Placement

Windows play a major role in year-round comfort in homes and energy efficiency. Allowing for natural light, airflow, and solar warmth, smart window placement is one of the most effective ways to boost efficiency and reduce the need for heating and cooling.

Energy efficiency also plays a major financial role — when you strategically position your windows, you can significantly impact your home’s temperature regulation. This helps to reduce the need for heating and cooling, dropping your energy bills.

Choosing the right windows

If energy efficiency is the goal, before even planning the best placement of windows, it’s necessary to consider the type of windows that will be the most energy efficient. Double glazing is one of the most effective methods of promoting energy efficiency, featuring two panes of glass with a sealed gap between them, which reduces heat transfer. The insulating gas that exists in the gap acts as an effective thermal buffer. Thanks to this ability, double glazing prevents the loss of heat in colder months and also prevents its gain in warmer months. As a result, double glazed windows maintain consistent temperatures in homes, reducing the need for artificial heating and cooling.

To maximise energy efficiency, we recommend pairing double-glazed windows with our flagship AliClad frame. Miglas AliClad is a frame made from sustainably sourced Tasmanian Oak and externally clad with durable aluminium. The timber has low thermal conductivity and further reinforces energy efficiency, while the aluminium cladding ensures the frame lasts for decades, providing durability and weather resistance without compromising on thermal performance.

Window placement tips

Having energy-efficient windows means being less reliant on artificial heating and cooling systems. Deciding where to place windows for maximum efficiency is all about knowing where the windows will sit in relation to the sun and to potential winds, helping you harness natural heat and breezes.

Window orientation

The best orientation of windows, to capture both warmth and natural light, is towards the north. North-facing windows are great at capturing sunlight in winter to help warm your home, and can be well-shaded during summer to prevent overheating. We also recommend considering east-facing windows, which receive heat from the morning sun but gradually lose direct sun throughout the day. This ensures homes are well-warmed in the morning, but not overheated when the weather has fully warmed up.

West-facing windows should be minimised because they attract the sun in the afternoon when it is at its most intense, leading to overheating. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have windows to the west or south, but you can typically get away with smaller windows in these areas, or ensure they are well-shaded. Low solar heat glass is also an option if the windows are oriented west.

Cross-ventilation

Other than attracting solar heat, windows can also help to manage warmth in the home by working with natural winds. Having two window openings on opposite sides of each other in the same room can create a direct flow of air, known as cross-ventilation. This allows fresh air to enter the room from one side, and stale air to be pushed out at the other. This fresh air can help to alleviate excess warmth when it’s hot, and can simply be avoided by keeping windows closed in cooler months.

Placing your windows to capture cross-ventilation works best when one of the openings faces a prevailing wind. The direction of prevailing winds will vary across different parts of Australia; it’s worthwhile checking the wind patterns in your local area online to optimise your window placement.

Other ways to improve energy efficiency

While window selection and placement play perhaps the largest roles in energy efficiency, there are a number of other factors that can help, including:

• Shading. Adding shading to your windows, like an awning, can give you the option to choose warmth when you need, or to prevent solar heat from entering when it is already warm enough. This can also be achieved with natural shading like trees and plants, though they cannot be altered. Consider adding internal blinds and curtains too, which provide an additional layer of insulation and control over light entry.

• Low emissivity coating. Low-E coating is a thin, near-invisible metallic coating applied to one side of windows inside a double-glazed unit that improves efficiency by reducing the amount of heat, cold and UV light that can pass through. These coatings reflect interior heat back into the home, and reflect exterior heat and cold away. Low-E glass and double glazing are both made more effective when combined.

• Ceiling fans. While air conditioning units are common and very effective, ceiling fans are a more affordable and sustainable cooling option, offering a gentle breeze that consumes far less energy. Ceiling fans are also effective at pushing hot air out of your windows.

Optimising homes with Miglas

At Miglas, we proudly offer a premium suite of energy-efficient window and door products, designed to keep your home feeling comfortable at all times of the year, without sacrificing on design quality. We combine the best in double glazing with our trademark AliClad system to give you a solution that isn’t just efficient today, but built to last for decades. When you use our products, you save money over their lifespan compared to competitors, and know you’re contributing to a more sustainable environment.

Purpose-designed for Australian conditions, there’s no better solution. Learn more about our range of Window and Door options, or get in touch today to speak with one of our experts directly. Energy efficiency starts right here.