Place windows strategically – When it comes to ventilation and cooling your home, windows may be your most significant tool. Specifically, cross-ventilation is based on the idea that by installing windows of comparable dimensions opposite one another, air is pulled into the home, cools the body by assisting in the evaporation of body heat, and then escapes out the opposite windows.
This results in a pleasant natural wind. The key to achieving effective cross-ventilation is determining the direction of the wind. Vivan Loftness, a professor of architecture and former dean of the department of architecture at Carnegie Mellon, advises, “Make sure you open windows on the west and south where you can pick up those breezes, and then you need to get the wind back out.” “The more windows that can be opened, the greater the airflow throughout the home.
If you wish to increase the speed of the wind, however, you should have less open on the windward side and more open on the leeward side.” Loftness is alluding to the Venturi effect, a fluid dynamics theory that states that the wind speed will rise if it is forced through a tight hole, such as wind tunnels between tall buildings.
How can I chill my home without an air conditioner?
Consider thermal mass – In some areas, including thermal mass into a home can lessen the need for air conditioning. Utilizing thermal mass, such as a brick chimney, plaster walls, or slate flooring, helps prevent the interior of a home from being very warm during the day.
5. Install a reflective roof – A light-colored, reflecting roof may assist in preventing unnecessary heat from entering the home. Not only should the ideal roof be reflective, but it should also have a high emissivity. (A bright, galvanized-metal roof is very reflective, but its emissivity is low, so it can admit a great deal of unwanted heat.) Look for roofing materials that have received certification from the Cool Roof Rating Council or the Energy Star Roof program.
Does my Vermont residence require central air conditioning?
Summer has arrived, bringing with it a trend of hot weather and (in our region) excessive humidity. We may be thankful that temperatures in Vermont do not surpass 120 degrees Fahrenheit, as they do in Phoenix and Las Vegas. (Recently, Death Valley was forecast to reach 130 degrees Fahrenheit, only four degrees shy of the greatest temperature ever recorded on Earth, which occurred a century ago.) Most new homes in Vermont are constructed with central air conditioning, although in much of the rest of the country, a home without central air conditioning would not be considered.
- I’m not suggesting that we eliminate air conditioning systems in new homes (especially in light of global warming), but via wise design and operation, we should at least be able to decrease their consumption.
- Here are my top ten home design methods for minimizing air conditioning usage.
- Some solely apply to new construction, while others also apply to renovations.
They are not ordered by importance.
