This article is part 1 of Cool Your Home Naturally.
Keeping cool indoors when it is hot outdoors is a problem. The sun beating down on our homes causes indoor temperatures to rise to uncomfortable levels. Air conditioning provides some relief. But the initial costs of installing an air conditioner and the electricity costs to [...]
This article is part 2 of Cool Your Home Naturally.
Dull, dark-colored home exteriors absorb 70% to 90% of the radiant energy from the sun that strikes the home’s surfaces. Some of this absorbed energy is then transferred into your home by way of conduction, resulting in heat gain. In contrast, lightcolored surfaces effectively reflect [...]
This article is part 3 of Cool Your Home Naturally.
Two excellent methods to block heat are insulation and shading. Insulation helps keep your home comfortable and saves money on mechanical cooling systems such as air conditioners and electric fans. Shading devices block the sun’s rays and absorb or reflect the solar heat.
Insulation
Weatherization measures—such as [...]
This article is part 4 of Cool Your Home Naturally.
Placement of vegetation is important when landscaping your home. The following are suggestions to help you gain the most from vegetation.
Plant trees on the northeast-southeast and the northwest-southwest sides of your house. Unless you live in a climate where it is hot year-round, do not [...]
This article is part 5 of Cool Your Home Naturally.
Nothing feels better on a hot day than a cool breeze. Encouraging cool air to enter your house forces warm air out, keeping your house comfortably cool. However, this strategy only works when the inside temperature is higher than the outside temperature.
Natural ventilation maintains indoor [...]
This article is part 6 of Cool Your Home Naturally.
Often-overlooked sources of interior heat gain are lights and household appliances, such as ovens, dishwashers, and dryers. Because most of the energy that incandescent lamps use is given off as heat, use them only when necessary. Take advantage of daylight to illuminate your house. And [...]
This article is part 7 of Cool Your Home Naturally.
Using any or all of these strategies will help keep you cool. Even if you use air conditioning, many of these strategies, particularly reflecting heat and shading, will help reduce the energy costs of running an air conditioner.
However, adopting all of these strategies may not [...]
