It is currently summer in India.
Are there any behavioural or infra modifications that would help handle the increased heat?
I have read about how white roofs would reduce heat absorption and energy needed for cooling
Are there other things like that? Especially ones that regular people can try? The other type(policy decision type) are ok too tho. Would be good to know them.
Also, are there any communities that would have discussions on such topics? Like a TIL or DIY community where people talked about general issues and solutions.
Is it this community?
On top of white paint, if it’s legal, try putting up some camo netting above the roof to provide shade on top of the reflectiveness of the white paint. Shades over windows.
Reflectrix on the inside/underside of the roof.
- It’s a cheap material.
- It’s quick to install.
Besides that, better insulation and the use of high efficiency heat pumps.
Chimney. If you have a chimney, open it.
Any air passing above will create a suction effect below and suck all the hot air out of the room.
My English isn’t Englishing atm, bear with me. Heat island effect is caused (amongst other things) due to sealed ground. So replacing asfalt roads, and even brick sealings with green space or even better water, should help regulate temperature. On top of this, instead of white roofs, green roofs are also a good option
Thank you.
We generally have sloped roofs for our homes because of our rainy season. Would green roofs work well there?
It might be easier near the coast, but opening up windows during times of day where you can catch a breeze might help with the heat the house soaks up. Insect netting on windows may make this a more tolerable option.
Beyond this, the high ceilings in older style homes seemed to make things feel cooler, but I can’t really confirm that. A lot of design aspects of older homes were meant to deal with heat, so it might not be trendy but works. I’ve seen one place with a sizeable indoor pond/pool in the middle of the ground floor, supposedly inspired by courtyard transpiration. The guy was an odd engineer… no idea about longevity but it did stay cool in that place.
Plants to cut down on sunlight while giving you something nice to look at seems good. Maybe planters for vegetables etc on a flat roof if it’s possible.
Thank you.
Cover the windows from the outside (not inside) to stop sunlight raising the temperature through the glass. I use tinfoil.
Thank you
If you can afford them (they can be shockingly expensive here in the states!), actual wooden shutters are very attractive and work quite well at cooling a home.
But, if you’d like to keep your view and stay cool, awnings are another option. They keep the window in shade and prevent heat from entering the home nearly as well as just blocking the window, while allowing the window to, y’know, keep on windowing.
If you’re somewhere without a ton of regulation or nosy neighbors, awnings can be made super easily with just some poles and tarps, or even a sheet of plywood depending on how much you care about appearance.
There is research that shows that white coloured roofing causes increased heating elsewhere, so it’s not a fix-all solution.
I live in Australia and during summer use a lawn sprinkler on the roof. Using a tap timer, it runs for 10 to 30 seconds every 10 minutes.
Just enough to wet the roof, so that the water evaporates and cools it down.
Other things you can do is growing creeper vines over a wall where the sun hits in the afternoon to keep direct sunlight off the wall.
If you have sash windows, you can open it at the top and bottom, creating a thermal airflow that will cool the house.
Adding sunshades and building housing with awnings makes a massive difference.
Lots of research associated with passive solar temperature regulation.
Thank you.
There is research that shows that white coloured roofing causes increased heating elsewhere, so it’s not a fix-all solution.
Is it that the roof would reflect it back to the sky and heat the air, intensifying the greenhouse effect or so?
Would it be better overall than homes heating up and even more energy and heat used to cool it? Or would it that be worse off?Lots of research associated with passive solar temperature regulation.
Cool. Are there any sources that share info on the ones that would be useful and available/suitable for regular use?
Thank you
If it’s not overly humid, evaporative air conditioners are a cheap to run way to keep cool. The personal units (Convair Classic etc) are typically about 50 to 80 watts, so a single solar panel, battery and inverter should guarantee safe, grid free cooling for one or two people.
my broke ass method on dealing with high temp + high humidity is 2 fans, 1 for me and 1 pointing outside (either the door or window, maybe around an elbow length)
Thank you.
I’m in Kerala. We do have decent humidity in most areas here.
These might be worth trying, I don’t know.
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/g44762001/best-wearable-neck-air-conditioners/
DIY paint. It will cool the surface to below ambient temperature.
Quite cool. Thank you.
The video does say that it probably would have specific applications and would not directly be used as an exterior building paint:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDRnEm-B3AI&t=249
Around 4:09Yeah because it is still in development but it can be experimented with by anyone as he shares all the details. I imagined applying it to a sheet of metal and sitting that in the window so the heat is reflected but the plate will be cool. I haven’t experimented with it myself so I can’t say it would work. Just an idea.
It’s so interesting to me because this is the only way I have seen to cool below ambient without power.
Arabian here, uhh - it’s insanely hot here too. Lol. Outside, i try to move to shade and trees as fast as possible, carry two water bottles all the time and relax in shadows when i can.
At home? ACs.
My advice isn’t too useful sadly, but i hope you can use it a little.
Thank you.
Shade is everything. Tree shade is the best, because trees transpire, cooling the ground beneath them even more than shade would alone.
Inside your house (depending on what kind of home you have), you can also take a look at your overall energy efficiency, including windows, doors, insulation in walls and attic, and weather stripping to seal all gaps
Thank you.
Have tried curtains for windows.
Would covering the glasspanes with glossy paper or so(on the inside) help more?
Trees are great.
Which tree would be good for India/Kerala?
how much air conditioning do you have? if you take public transport, is it air-conditioned?
Regular buses in India are generally not airconditioned. Regular train coaches are not too.
