Has the heat started to build up in your home as the days go by? Do certain rooms, particularly those under the roof, become unpleasant to live in? Has the comfort of your home decreased as temperatures remain high?
When heatwaves last for several days in a row, it’s not uncommon for the heat to accumulate indoors. Faced with this situation, air conditioning is often seen as the most obvious solution. However, in many cases, there are several simple measures you can take to significantly improve your comfort in summer whilst reducing energy consumption.
This illustration shows various ways to improve comfort in summer: sun protection on windows, insulation, green roofs, ventilation, solar panels, heat pumps and technical equipment.
Keeping your home cool – The priority: preventing heat from entering
As our Klima-Agence expert Sarah Juchems explains in the RTL Energietipps series, it is often more effective to reduce heat sources than to try to cool the home afterwards.
Watch the RTL Energietipps video
A large proportion of the heat enters the home through windows exposed to the sun.
There are several ways to help prevent rooms from heating up before the heat even sets in:
- keep shutters, blinds or external sunshades closed during the sunniest periods;
- where possible, opt for sunshades fitted on the outside of windows;
- set them to operate automatically depending sunlight levels.
Cooling down the rooms at home: ventilate at the right time
When it's cooler outside than inside, it's time to ventilate.
Ideally, open several windows wide to create a draught through the house, rather than leaving them in the tilt position.
The best times are generally:
- early in the morning;
- late in the evening;
- during the night.
Conversely, it is best to keep windows closed during the hottest hours of the day.
Keeping your home cool: which solutions offer lasting comfort?
Simple habits can often make a significant difference to your comfort. However, in some homes, more structural measures may be necessary.
Greenery around the home
Trees, hedges and climbing plants provide shade and naturally help to cool the area around the building.
They also improve quality of life and promote biodiversity.
Insulation: useful in summer too
Insulation is often associated with winter. However, it can also contribute to improved comfort in summer when combined with materials offering good thermal storage capacity.
These materials slow down the penetration of heat into the building and help to retain the coolness accumulated overnight for longer.
In existing buildings with poor insulation, an energy-efficient renovation using suitable materials can help improve comfort all year round.
Heat pumps and air conditioning: when are they suitable?
Depending on the layout of the property, a heat pump combined with underfloor heating can provide active or passive cooling. However, its efficiency largely depends on the quality of the building’s insulation.
If you use air conditioning, it is recommended that you:
- choose an energy-efficient unit;
- limit its use to occupied rooms;
- prioritise its use when your solar panels are generating electricity.
Using solar-generated electricity to cool your home
In addition, solar panel systems offer a dual benefit: they allow you to generate your own electricity and can help power cooling equipment whilst increasing the self-consumption of the energy produced.
Summer comfort: a combination of solutions
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the heat. Summer comfort often depends on a combination of measures tailored to your home, such as:
- sun protection;
- ventilation;
- greenery;
- insulation;
- high-performance technical equipment.
Would you like to identify the solutions best suited to your situation?
Klima-Agence advisers can provide you with personalised, free and independent advice to help you improve the comfort of your home in a sustainable way.