We are in the hottest months of the year, and many of us are looking for ways to keep cool without using a lot of electricity. Keeping the heat outside, avoiding heat-generating activities inside, and maximizing ventilation can help keep your home cool.
Avoid heat buildup:- Landscape your lot to shade your house, especially on the sunny east, west, and south sides.
- If you replace your roof, use a light-colored material to help reflect heat.
- When painting the outside of your house, use lighter tones that help to reflect rather than absorb heat.
- Install insulation (R-19 or greater) in your attic or install a radiant barrier with an emissivity of 0.05 or less to keep the sun's heat from radiating into your living area.
- Apply window film with a shading coefficient of 0.40 or less.
- Consider installing new windows with a solar heat gain coefficient of 0.40 or less.
- Block direct sunlight by installing awnings or closing window shades and curtains.
- Avoid using the oven. Cook on the stovetop, use a microwave oven, or grill outdoors.
- Avoid using appliances that generate a lot of heat, such as the drying cycle on your dishwasher.
- Switch to compact fluorescent lights, which emit less heat.
Maximize ventilation:- Take advantage of natural ventilation by letting the trade winds enter windward windows and drawing warm air out of leeward or upper windows and operable skylights.
- Install window fans in windows facing away from the prevailing wind to exhaust hot air from your home.
- Use circulating fans to create a wind chill effect that will make you more comfortable. Ceiling fans are considered the most effective. If you use air conditioning, a ceiling fan will allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 4°F with the same comfort level.
- Keep your attic cooler by venting out the hot air. Install a vented ridge cap, wind-powered exhaust turbine, or an attic fan - such as a solar-powered fan - to reduce your attic's temperature.
- Use spot ventilation to remove the heat while cooking (oven hood vent), while bathing (bathroom vent), and while running the clothes dryer (dryer vent).
