It has been a hot summer so far, and with an El Niño expected this year, we may have to deal with the heat a bit more than usual. To make matters worse, it is looking like we will also have to deal with rising energy costs in the coming months, as the big old mess in the Middle East that the great USA under the leadership of Donald Trump has gotten the rest of the world into, doesn’t look like it will end soon.
For homeowners, this means finding creative ways to cool our homes as efficiently and at the least cost as possible, because when the electricity bill starts climbing, the first two culprits would be the inevitable power rate hikes, coupled with increased air conditioner usage which is the only solution available for many when it comes to dealing with the otherworldly heat in our homes.
The easiest solution to think of and implement would be to reduce aircon usage by raising the thermostat and/or lowering the hours of usage. But given the intensity of the heat we are experiencing in our homes and offices, that might not even be an easy call to make. But it is worth a try, especially after we see our electricity bills for the month.
One energy efficiency and heat defeating option I’ve been thinking about these days is to install an exhaust fan or two at the space between the ceiling and the roof of the house. That poorly insulated and ventilated space is one of the hottest areas in any home during midday, and an unbearably hot ceiling is one unseen reason why rooms heat up so badly.
For that space between the ceiling and the roof, adding insulation is a good thing to consider, especially for new builds, or if the budget allows a retrofit. Since that crawl space is pretty tight, installing insulation can be a tough ask. However, one solution that can help, if the space allows, is the installation of an exhaust fan that can blow hot air out and lower the temperature in that space, which can get oven-like during the hottest times of the day. A ceiling that doesn’t radiate as much heat into the room is always a good thing, and it even lowers the cooling load for the air conditioning system.
If you can afford to add both insulation and ceiling space exhaust fans, that would be even better, of course. But whatever is the easiest and most affordable to install would naturally be the first choice.
This heat we are going through right now is also a good argument for solar panels. Because if you come to think of it, it doesn’t only generate power from sunlight, but because it is usually roof mounted, it provides an extra layer of shade for the roof, which contributes to lowering the temperatures inside the living spaces and even reduces the aircon load. That’s a lot of summer time benefits. These days, any new build should seriously consider solar panels on the roof, as there are just too many advantages that cannot be ignored. Diverting the budget from a fancy tiled roof to a plain one but with solar panels seems to be a better investment. It’s too bad that the energy and fuel crisis has also resulted in recent price spikes in PV equipment.
The roof is a part of our home that as long as it doesn’t leak when it rains, we usually ignore it. However, this hot summer and the threat of a “super” El Niño has revealed the importance of a well-designed and energy efficient roof system for homes. It turns out that we need one that can not only keep us dry, but also as cool as possible, for the sake of the inhabitants and the efficiency of the airconditioning system, while at the same time maybe even harvesting energy from the sun.
The weather is expected to become more extreme in the coming years, which means the heat will be hotter, rains wetter, and storms stronger. With that in mind, we have to make sure that our homes are up to the challenge, even if we make just a few improvements at a time.
It can be an additional exhaust fan, adding ceiling insulation, or going all-out with solar panels. Just make sure that unlike iced, sugary, and caffeinated drinks that are usually overpriced and not even good for your health after the brain freeze and sugar rush eventually wear off, the home efficiency improvement projects that work on produce a net benefit.*
