Sunrooms

Sunrooms may add natural light and space to your home. They can be a pleasant interface with gardens and landscape, and also a part of a passive solar strategy. A sunroom glazed area can be used as an element of passive solar heating, in colder climates. Sunrooms may reduce the heat loss and increase the heat gains of a building, and also release valuable heat at night. Sunrooms - including conservatories, solariums, patio rooms and enclosures - are typical extensions for cold climates. Since sunrooms are highly glazed structures, the type of glaze is extremely important to control temperatures. Sunrooms located on the south side of the house will get more sun and more heat. It is possible to locate the sunroom on east or west, as long it has a south-facing facade.Non-glazed sunroom walls should include high-density exterior grade foam and a vapor barrier. Sunroom walls should be insulated to at least R-20. That's crucial to obtain balanced temperatures in the rest of the building.
Source: House-Energy