Climate Zones
Hot and dry, cold or very cold, or perhaps something in between? Climate conditions have important consequences for what's needed to build an energy-efficient home.
Climate directly affects home design and construction practices. It determines how much sunlight a home receives and whether heating or cooling will be the bigger challenge. Climate also influences how large a role solar energy, passive or active, can play in meeting a home's energy requirements.
Climate considerations affect the amount of insulation a home needs and the type and size of heating or cooling systems that will be most efficient. Choices of building materials and techniques along with landscaping options are all influenced by climate.
The United States contains five major climate zone areas:
- Cold and very cold climate zone
- Hot-dry and mixed dry climate zone
- Hot and humid climate zone
- Marine climate zone
- Mixed-humid climate zone
To find your climate zone and the best practice guidelines and construction techniques that are designed for it, locate your state on the map below.
