Summer cooling
In some areas of New Zealand, homes get so hot that people resort to air conditioning but this can be unnecessarily costly.
By incorporating some energy efficiency measures into your building design, you can stay cool and save on running appliances such as air conditioning units or fans.
On this page:
Ways to stay cool
The most effective way to deal with excess heating is through planning your building design (or renovations) around where the sun and breeze come from.
Window shades such as blinds, louvers or overhangs are a good way to reduce heat gain through windows in summer.
Planting deciduous trees that will shade the north and west sides of your home in summer can help avoid overheating but careful placement of windows will stop the problem happening in the first place.
Insulation can also be effective for keeping houses cooler in the warmer summer months.
Take action
Plan for summer cooling
Use these tips to help reduce heat gain:
- draw curtains to keep out the heat of the mid-day sun
- use an energy efficient air conditioning appliance. Look for an Energy star rating [Energy star website.]
- create cross-draughts by opening doors and windows. (See Fig 1.)
Fig. 1. Cross-ventilation can provide most of your summer cooling needs.
Checklist
Consider how you can shade windows to help cool your home:
1. North-facing windows
- Shade north-facing windows to prevent high summer sun entering the home. It is important that shading devices do not shade the windows in winter. Correctly designed eaves will do this, otherwise look for something adjustable, that also gives you more control over how much heat you let in.
2. East and west-facing windows
- East and west-facing windows should be well shaded from the morning and afternoon summer sun. This is done best with adjustable vertical shading like awning blinds, which cover the whole face of the window.
- Vertically mounted trellis, low bushes or external blinds that block the low angle of the sun are also suitable.
More information
- The Department of Building and Housing provides a comprehensive discussion on Cooling options [Smarter Homes website.]