Chill Out Without Plugging In
In a typical Alberta summer, there are only a couple of weeks that are uncomfortably hot. So, is it worth purchasing an air conditioner, and consuming the electricity needed to run it, for such a short amount of time?
Instead, we’re offering some techniques to help you tough out those two weeks. Here’s how you can cool your inside air without contributing to the global warming of the outside air.
- Those decorative curtains really do have a purpose.
The focus in the summer is keeping the cool air in and the hot air out. In the heat of the day, close the windows and sliding doors, close the blinds and pull the curtains. White blinds and curtains are best at reflecting the suns rays.
The theory of keeping everything open to get a breeze does not work. The sun’s heat entering the house gets stored within the contents of the house until it’s slowly released in the evening.
Once you’ve made it through the warmest part of the day, that’s the time to open everything up and enjoy the cooler breeze. It helps to have thermometers both inside and outside the home to know when the temperature transition happens.
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Here’s a FAN-tastic idea.
Many ceiling fans on the market are designed to operate in both directions, one for winter and one for summer. Rather than figure it out if the fan is running clockwise/counter clockwise or forward and reverse, use this simple test. Stand under the fan, in summer, and turn it to high speed. If you feel air blowing on you, the fan’s running in the right direction.
This air movement is what creates the wind-chill effect. By blowing warm air across your skin, you allow sweat to evaporate which is how your body eliminates heat. And remember, fans cool people, not places. If a room is empty, just like your lights, flick off your fan. You’ll be paying for wasted electricity otherwise.
- It’s what’s on the outside that counts.
Landscaping can go a long way to help passively cool your house. Adding shade trees to the south and west of your house will help act as an umbrella, preventing the sun’s rays from penetrating to the house. Only use trees that lose their leaves. In winter, you want as much sun hitting your home as possible.
Awnings can create the same effect. You can also have a tinted coating put on your windows, which is like putting sunglasses on your house. The tint reflects the solar heat but still lets visible light in. Depending on how much tinting is applied, incoming heat can be cut by 15 to 40 per cent. At the higher end, this can allow you to leave your curtains and blinds open during the day.
- Think about what generates heat in the home.
Lots of indoor activities can counteract your efforts to cool your house. For example, cooking dinner in the oven adds lots of indoor heat.
On hot summer days, think about eating more cold foods or using the outdoor barbecue. Computers, dishwashers and standard light bulbs also insidiously add heat to the house. Turn off computers when not in use, run your dishwasher later in the evening when the house is cooler and switch those incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent lights. Indeed, incandescent bulbs are incredibly inefficient, losing 90 per cent of their energy as exhaust heat.
- The ABCs of A/C.
If you do have an air conditioner, keep in mind the following ABCs to use it more efficiently.
Actual needs: don’t buy a unit that’s bigger than you need. Perhaps you only need one small unit for the bedroom. If that’s the case, turn it on for just a short period before bedtime, when you can switch it to fan mode.
Buy an ENERGY STAR-qualified room air conditioner, which is up to 70 per cent more energy efficient than a typical 20-year-old unit.
Count the degrees: your house doesn’t need to be a refrigerator. If you find yourself putting on extra clothing, you’ve probably set the temperature too low. Also, programmable thermostats work just as well with central air conditioners as they do with furnaces. Set the thermostat to turn on your air conditioner just before you arrive home from work.
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