Air conditioners are advantageous and important for comfort in hot, humid climates; in most other cases, well designed homes do not require air conditioning.
The number of buildings using air conditioners is rapidly increasing, but it hasn't to be so. You can cut your cooling bills to a fraction by using natural cooling strategies and an energy-savings approach.
Shade your House and Your YardIf you live in a hot climate or have high cooling bills, shade your windows, roof and walls, and the ground around your house. Use devices like awnings, shades and pergolas, but also trees and shrubs.
Do not underestimate shading. Shade and natural ventilation are key elements for home energy savings.
See: Home Shade for Energy Savings
Learn to Use Natural Ventilation: It’s Costless and Very EffectiveConsider breezes and outside fresh air to cool your house. Open your windows to breezes and use ventilation fans and whole-house fans to bring outside fresh air into your house.
Consider cross and stack (convective) ventilation. Try the best strategies to deflect breezes and to channel them into your rooms. Use windows and openings in different parts of the house, and close the house up tight during the daytime hours to keep the heat outside and the fresh air inside.
See: Ventilation and Breezes for Energy Savings
Use Air Conditioners SelectivelyCentral AC is expensive to install and to run. Consider using air conditioners selectively.
See:
Air Conditioners in Hot Climates
Air Conditioners Guide
Air Conditioners Alternatives
Consider Low-Cost Mechanical Cooling EquipmentConsider evaporative coolers (in dry-hot climates) and whole-house fans (in hot climates, with cool nighttime air). Consider also ceiling fans and small portable fans (in still-air conditions) and window-fans (to bring outside cooler air into the house)…
They cost little when compared with air conditioners. Alone or combined with other natural cooling methods, or with air conditioners, they are great for energy savings.
See:
Evaporative Swamp Coolers Guide
Whole-House Fans Guide
Ceiling Fans Purchasing
Window Fans & Breezes
High-Performance Windows and Window Films Can Cut Cooling Bills in HalfWindows are often the biggest source of unwanted heat gains. To reduce them to very small values, consider high energy-efficient windows (with proper glazing and frames) or install window films. Shading is also highly effective for energy savings.
See:
High-Performance Windows
Window Films
Add Trees and Shrubs to your Yard: Landscaping Can be Very Effective for Comfort and Energy SavingsAdd trees and other plants to your yard. They may not not provide immediate results, but in the long run that’s highly advantageous. Vegetation provides shade and evapo-transpiration. Choose the right trees and plant them in the right locations to shade your roof, walls and windows - and the ground around your house.
See: Landscaping the Yard for Shade
Pay Attention to your Roof and Attic and to the Colors of the House; Avoid Attic FansIn stand-alone homes the roof and the attic are major sources of unwanted heat gains during hot weather conditions.
Roof coatings, light roofing colors and high levels of attic insulation can greatly reduce your cooling bills. They are key for low-energy homes.
Attic ventilation can also help, but do not expect significant results from it or from attic fans.
Also avoid a dark-colored home, in hot or even moderate climates. Light-colored surfaces will reflect most of the heat away, while dark colors will absorb more than 70% or the radiant energy of the sun, part of which will be transferred into your living space by conduction.
See:
Roof Cooling Guide
Attic Fans
Roof Ventilation Systems
Increasing the Attic Ventilation
Design Strategies for CoolingIf you are planning to build a new home, consider carefully its design and its exposure to the sun (or protection from it), as well as its orientation to breezes.
Incorporating cooling and heating features in the design of your house will save you many thousands of dollars in energy bills over its lifetime.
See:
Summer Cooling in Cold and Moderate Climates
Cooling in Hot Climates
Home Layout and Design for Cooling
Reduce Internal Sources of HeatInternal heat gain sources include heat gains from lights, dishwashers, dryers, ovens and others. Be aware to them...
See: Controlling Unwanted Heat Gains
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©2013 House-Energy, Help Homeowners reduce energy use and carbon emissions. Ed. Reisinh
