Most people today think we have only two options on hot days like today: stay inside a closed, air conditioned building; or be miserable. There are other possibilities ranging from no-energy systems to high-energy systems that one can employ to stay comfortable on days when it’s almost too hot to breath.
The simplest form of cooling is the one our grandparents used: breezes. Natural cross-ventilation in a home can provide cool air without flipping a switch. With proper planning, breezes can be designed into the home. Placing windows on opposite sides of the room, or on at least two walls, encourages air circulation. Casement windows, angled to scoop breezes and direct them across the room can actively accelerate airflow and cool the room even more.
Shade is also an effective means of keeping a house cool. Planting leafy trees on the south and west sides of the home can provide shade from the summer’s heat. When the leaves are gone in the winter the sun can warm the home. If you’re planning solar panels, you’ll want to make sure not to create shadows that would render them ineffective; so plan carefully.
If trees are not an option for you, you might consider an awning, a pergola or a bris-soleil to block the hot sun. These structures should be given the same consideration as trees: design them so they protect against the high, hot summer sun, while letting in the lower winter sun.
Hot air rises, and two effective means of cooling are based on pulling the hot air up and out of the house. A whole house fan, mounted at the uppermost ceiling of the house (often near the top of a stairway) can be turned on as needed to mechanically discharge hot air. A non-mechanical approach to this is to simply install operable skylights or vents at the highest ceiling point. Placing the vent or skylight on the cool side of the roof is recommended, because hot air naturally flows to a cooler location. Although a vent can serve the purpose, a skylight serves double-duty by providing natural daylighting while augmenting ventilation. Skylights can be manually operated or electronically; some even come with moisture sensors, and will close themselves when it starts to rain.
Virge Temme
Ceiling fans are a boon to cooling and have long been used to enhance heating and cooling. In winter, the fan blades turn in one direction to force warm air down; in summer they turn in the opposite direction to pull warm air up. There are a number of fan companies that offer Energy-Star rated models. These consume at least 15% less energy than other fans. Some are even programmable, so you can set them for the desired room temperature. They will automatically increase or decrease speed, and reverse rotation to move the air as needed to attain the desired temperature.
If all these more passive, low- or no-energy options fail to provide the level of cooling one wants, then one can always resort to air conditioning. This device operates rather like a refrigerator: it takes a fluid, like Freon or Puron, compresses it in order to heat it up and convert it to gas; then it dumps the hot molecules outside and introduces the leftover cold gas (cold air) back into the house. (Hannaberry.com and Howstuffworks.com are two websites that offer a clear description of the system for the mechanically challenged.)
The problem with air conditioners (AC) is the impact they have on the ozone layer of the atmosphere. Freon (which will be outlawed by the year 2010) contains hydrofluorocarbins, which harm the ozone. Experts believe that Freon is not a problem if the gasses are contained. But if they escape into the atmosphere through damage or disintegration of the unit, the problem is severe. Puron’s long-term effect on the atmosphere is still untested. The product was released to the public only a few years ago, so we do not yet know how it may impact the environment. Furthermore, if AC ducts and filters are not kept clean and dry, they run the risk of developing mold spores that can cause respiratory problems.
So make your choices consciously. Air conditioning is not mandatory for every home. Given proper planning (and perhaps a good dehumidifier) a Door County home can stay comfortably cool the natural way.