I have almost no windows on the North/East because the idea is to maximize light and have as little heat loss through the windows as possible (heating here is far more expensive I’ve the year than cooling).

In hot and stable climates it’s probably common to not have large windows to the south, but in places where you have +30C in summer and freezing to -20 and dark all winter it’s hard to architect for all seasons. I wouldn’t give up the 4h daylight in my south windows in winter, even though they make the house too hot in summer. Shading that can be removed is probably the answer.

Vented rears for freezers, how does that work? Do they typically sit in an outer wall, or do they have ducts venting so they can be placed anywhere? I have never heard of those.