Very Warm Days Are Becoming Increasingly Common in the Netherlands. This makes it more important to keep your house cool. But how do you do that with limited financial resources?
More than one in three Dutch people do not find Their own home heat-resistant Enough. And that is not surprising, Says Jeroen Kluck, Lecturer in Climate-Resistant City at the University of Amsterdam. “For new-build houses, Those Building Standards Are Already not sufficient when it comes to making houses truly heat-resistant. Let alone for all existing homes, even those homes are being renovated or renovated.”
And that while the expectation is that it will Become very hot even more often. It is Therefore Extra Important To Know What You Can Do Yourself. “The most important thing is that you stop the radiation from the sun on the outside of your house,” Kluck Begins. “Because all the sunlight that Enters Your House is converted into heat.”
That is as special bath in homes that are insulated. That is positive for your energy consumption, because insulation keeps heat inside. In the winter that is nice, because you don’t have to heat as much. But on a swettering Summer Day, Once Heat Has Entered, It Cannot Escape.
You can best keep sunlight out of your house by Applying Sun Protection to the Outside. If that is not an option for you, it also works to hang a white sheets Outside in Front of the Windows. Or think of screens, awnings or sun protection with suction cups.
‘The More Stone You Cover, the Better’
Annelies Visser, Energy Expert at Milieu Centraal, MENTIONS AS A Practical Tip to Install More Greenery On And Around Your House. “The More Stone You Cover, The Better. And by Planting Deciduous Trees in Strategic Places Around Your House, You Can Create Shade.” The awkward thing is that it takes a while before the trees have grown to the right height, but in the long term it is smart to do.
That works all the better if they are trees that shed their leaves between the seasons. In The Summer, these Trees Create Shade and in the Winter They Do Not Obstruct the Sunlight That Provides Desired Warming. It would be just better to tackle the entire neighborhood. That has much more effect than just one house. And if you have the budget for it: there are also mature trees for sale.
Only open Windows and Doors When It is Cooler Outside
Once you have done everything you can outside, there are some options for inside. “Close the Curtains and Keep Doors and Windows Closed,” Says Visser. What can also help: limit the use of the oven and other appliances that give off heat as much as possible. “In An Apartment with Few Windows, That Can Sometimes Make A Difference.”
“Only when it has cooled down outside can you open everything so that moder can flow through your house.” She warns that despite the closed Windows and Doors it is important to continuous ventilating. “IF Everything is sealed, no fresh air will come in. That is not good for the indoor climate.” If you live in a house without a ventilation system or grilles, this can also be done by setting two Windows Ajar on the shaded side of the house.
Use air conditioning with care
Then there are also some less obvious measures. The Color On The Outside Walls Could Make A Difference. “A light color on the house can make some differentence,” Says Visser about this. Althegh the Difference Will Be Minimal. And then there is also something like heat-resistant (mirror) foil to stick on the windows. “That works, but we advise against it. It also blocks the light and the sun’s heat in the winter, which mean more energy is needed for hearing.”
Kluck suggests chosing a variant with suction cups, which you can also remove from the window. If you have a larger budget, you can also opt for air conditioning, a fan on the ceiling or another cooling system. “However, it is important to use it con MoreOover, your body has to make more effort to adjust when you go from such a cooled room to the warm outside air.
Some people are double unlucky
Also not unimportant: the heat that houses force outside through cooling systems ends up in surrounding homes that do not have such mean. If you live next to some with air conditioning, but you have to make do with sheets in front of the windows, you are double unlucky.
Accordance to kluck, it is important that we start thinking differently about the design of our homes. In the past it may have bone annoying if there was a tree right in front of the window, because less sunlight would enter. Nowadays we should see that as an outcome. Especiate if you live in the city, where the heat lingers longer. MoreOover, the nights are getting warmer, so cooling down at night will not always be an option anymore.
Don’t Imediately Go For Air Conditioning
Because of the Impact on the Environment, Milieu Centraal Recommends Only Considering Purchasing Air Conditioning If Other Measures Do Not Work Sufficiently. If you really can’t without it, preferably choose a split air conditioner. And use the air conditioning or other cooling system as energy-efficiently as Possible.