Cooling your house without air conditioning

When temperatures rise the temptation is to turn on the air conditioning especially here in the Algarve. However, you may not be aware that this is a real global warming accelerator.

According to a report by the International Energy Agency, by 2050, about two-thirds of the world’s households could have an air conditioner. The growing use of these appliances worldwide will be one of top drivers of the global demand for electricity over the next three decades. It is essential that we rethink and opt for alternatives.

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We have listed below a few recommendations to do instead of turning to an air conditioning unit:

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To avoid the heat from entering the room, close the windows, shutters and curtains during the day. When temperatures drops in the evening you can open up your home to encourage air flow to evacuate the accumulated hot air.

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Humidifying the room will help cool it down. The best way to do this is to place a damp cloth in front of the window and dampen it regularly or you can also mop the floor or use a water spray.

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Incandescent light bulbs tend to produce heat. It is recommended to opt for LED light bulbs, an energy saving bulbs, which in addition to producing very little heat, will reduce your electricity bill.

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In addition to looking nice and adding colour to a room green plants help humidify the air in the room. The palm tree and ficus are among the most suitable varieties for cooling. Growing climbing plants on the outside of the property also helps.

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Appliances, even on standby, consume electricity and contribute to the heating of the room. It is therefore a good idea to unplug as many appliances as possible, such as telephone chargers or televisions and also remember to regularly dust your equipment to limit overheating.

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