Keeping your home cool during summer can be a challenge - as well as eating up electricity, air conditioning units can end up chewing a hole in your savings balance. But there are cost-effective ways to cool your home in a green way, using the natural structures and features of your house or apartment.
It's impossible to escape the heat of the sun - especially in a country as hot and dry as Australia - but many home owners put off the purchase of an air conditioner because of the high installation costs and the ongoing price of the electricity required to run a home cooling system. On top of this, those of us trying to reduce our environmental 'footprint' would rather not add to the problem of global warming with the running of an air conditioner using refrigeration technology which produces damaging compounds into the atmosphere.If you are about to embark on a building or renovating project, it pays to think about structural elements and building materials that will keep you as cool as possible - but there are also ways to adjust an existing home or adopt 'cool' habits in your day-to-day life.
When it comes to home cooling au naturale, prevention is better than cure. The best way to stay cool is to not let your home get too hot in the first place. Obviously, most of the heat that accumulates is from the rays of the sun hitting your roof, windows and walls. It makes sense, then, to deflect some of this heat away. But how?
Try these passive cooling options, either alone or alongside an air conditioner:
Roof
Make your roof deflect some of the heat with a reflective coating. Even fibreglass in a light colour will absorb the sun's energy and heat, but you can reduce heat absorption through applying a light-coloured latex coat over your existing roof material. An asphalt, fibreglass and aluminium composite material is another option which can reflect some of the sun's heat. On the underside, rather than the top of your roof, you may consider a radiant barrier; this foil-like material reduces heat absorption by around 25% but requires an airspace above your ceiling rafters. Some varieties can even act as insulation too - insulating an attic space will help reduce heat gain in upstairs rooms.
Windows
After the roof, your windows are the biggest culprit for letting in unwanted heat - around 40% of the total heat in fact. Once again, the key is to reflect the sun's rays before they can be absorbed into your home. Window coatings designed for this purpose use specially-formulated dyes on plastic or are made from metal. For climates with both hot and cold extremes, choose a combination coating which will let some heat in and also prevent heat from escaping. For hot climates, you may find a sun-control covering is best, reducing both light and heat inside your home.
Coverings and shade structures for your windows can also make a big difference to the heat level inside your home. As the mantra goes: "Keep blinds and curtains drawn and windows closed during the heat of the day". To reduce heat, and sometimes light, you may want to try:
- Hanging wet washing in front of an open window, if the breeze is cool
- Planting trees around your home, but bear in mind fire danger and the level of light you want to retain indoors. Deciduous trees (that lose their leaves in autumn) will give you shade in summer and light in winter
- Attaching tightly-woven fibre screens, shutters, shades or bamboo coverings on the outside of your windows
- Installing wide eaves or awnings to shade windows from the high summer sun, while still allowing the low winter sun to get a look-in
- Placing windows in positions that allow cross ventilation, or natural airflow, from one side of the house to the other. A similar effect can be achieved with door placement.
Paint or clad the exterior of your house with a light colour. Light hues will reflect light, unlike dark colours which absorb up to 90% of the sun's energy and create more heat inside your home. If you are renovating a brick home, try to retain the original structure, as this blocks heat in summer and helps to keep heat in during the winter. (However, after several days of consistently high temperatures, you'll find the hot bricks adding to the heat felt inside your home).
Appliances
It's a little-considered fact that many appliances around the home produce heat, so be sure to reduce the amount of heat you're adding to hot summer days by:
- Turning appliances off when not in use
- Limiting the amount of cooking you do on the stovetop
- Restricting the use of dishwashers and washing machines to evening hours
- Using daylight or fluorescent light, rather than lighting with incandescent bulbs
- Choosing energy efficient appliances that generate less heat
Find local retailers of air conditioners online:
Buy Air Conditioners in ACT
Buy Air Conditioners in NSW
Buy Air Conditioners in NT
Buy Air Conditioners in QLD
Buy Air Conditioners in SA
Buy Air Conditioners in TAS
Buy Air Conditioners in VIC
Buy Air Conditioners in WA
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