How to Heat & Cool Your Extension Year-Round
An orangery is a beautiful and valuable addition to any home, offering a seamless blend of indoor comfort and outdoor views. However, to truly enjoy your orangery year-round, effective heating and cooling solutions are essential. At Farrow & Jones, we understand the importance of creating a space that’s comfortable, energy-efficient, and perfectly suited to your lifestyle. This guide will explore how to achieve optimal temperature control in your orangery, ensuring it remains a usable and delightful space no matter the season.
What are the Best Heating Options for Orangeries?
When it comes to heating an orangery, the goal is efficiency and consistent warmth without detracting from the aesthetic. Given the unique structure of an orangery, which typically features more solid roof and brickwork than a traditional conservatory, various orangery heating solutions can be highly effective.
- Underfloor Heating: This is often the most popular and discreet choice. Underfloor heating provides an even distribution of warmth across the entire space, eliminating cold spots and drafts. It’s an energy efficient orangery solution that works by radiating heat upwards from the floor, creating a comfortable ambient temperature. It’s particularly effective as it operates at a lower temperature than traditional radiators, making it more cost-effective in the long run.
- Air Conditioning Units (with Heating Function): Modern air conditioning units often come with a reverse cycle feature, allowing them to provide both cooling in summer and heating in winter. These systems offer quick temperature adjustments and can be a good option for rapid heating, especially in smaller orangeries.
- Electric Radiators/Convector Heaters: While less aesthetically integrated than underfloor heating, contemporary electric radiators can provide supplementary heat. Look for models with thermostats and timers for better control and efficiency.
- Traditional Radiators: If designing a new orangery, traditional radiators can be incorporated, but their placement needs careful consideration to ensure they don’t block light or views.
How to Keep Your Orangery Cool in Summer?
Preventing overheating is crucial for cooling an orangery and ensuring its year-round orangery use. The sun’s intensity can quickly turn your beautiful extension into an uncomfortably warm space without proper planning.
- Ventilation: Good ventilation is paramount. This can be achieved through roof vents (often integrated into the roof lantern), strategically placed windows, and even bi-folding or sliding doors that open up fully to the garden. Automated ventilation systems can be controlled by thermostats, opening and closing based on the internal temperature.
- Solar Control Glazing: This leads us to our next point, but specialised glass can significantly reduce solar gain.
- Blinds and Shading: Internal or external blinds, particularly those with reflective properties, can effectively block out direct sunlight and prevent heat build-up. Automated blind systems offer convenience and can be programmed to respond to sunlight levels.
Air Conditioning: As mentioned for heating, a good air conditioning system is invaluable for maintaining a comfortable cool temperature during hot summer months.

What Role Does Glazing Play in Orangery Temperature Control?
The glass in your orangery plays a monumental role in temperature regulation. High-performance glazing is fundamental to creating an energy efficient orangery that stays warm in winter and cool in summer.
- Low-Emissivity (Low-E) Glass: This type of glass has a special coating that reflects heat, preventing it from escaping in winter and reducing heat absorption from the sun in summer. This significantly improves insulation properties. For more technical specifications on the glass we use, please refer to our Technical Specification page.
- Solar Control Glass: Designed specifically to reduce the amount of solar radiation entering a building, solar control glass helps to keep the interior cooler, minimizing the need for active cooling systems.
- Double or Triple Glazing: Multiple panes of glass with inert gas (like argon) in between create an insulating barrier, dramatically reducing heat transfer.
Choosing the right glazing is a key investment in your orangery’s long-term comfort and energy efficiency.
Can Smart Home Technology Improve Orangery Climate?
Absolutely. Integrating smart home technology can revolutionise how you manage your orangery’s climate, enhancing both comfort and energy efficiency.
- Smart Thermostats: These devices learn your preferences and can be controlled remotely via a smartphone app. They can optimise heating and cooling schedules, reacting to external temperatures and even your presence, ensuring your orangery is always at the perfect temperature without wasting energy.
- Automated Blinds and Vents: Smart systems can connect to motorised blinds and roof vents, allowing them to open or close automatically based on pre-set conditions (e.g., if the temperature exceeds a certain level, or at specific times of day).
- Integrated Lighting and HVAC: A fully integrated smart home system can coordinate your orangery’s lighting, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, creating a seamless and optimised environment.
By thoughtfully combining the right heating and cooling solutions with advanced glazing and smart home technology, your orangery can truly become a versatile and comfortable extension for year-round orangery use.
At Farrow & Jones, we specialise in creating bespoke orangeries that are not only beautiful but also designed for optimal comfort and efficiency. Discover the difference between a conservatory and an orangery and explore how we can enhance your home with a bespoke conservatory or orangery. Visit our homepage to learn more about our commitment to quality and craftsmanship.
Get in Touch Today
If you are ready to start creating your new orangery, extension or conservatory simply get in touch by filling out this contact form. Alternatively, you can call us on 01926 810 291 for a no-obligation discussion.
To learn more about the steps that go into our builds and to see the recent projects and designs we have worked on, then check out our gallery here.
Lastly, to keep up with all of our news and to find some inspiration, you can follow us on Instagram and Facebook.