Heat records keep dismantling expectations worldwide. The sun feels more intense, and the number of consecutive record-breaking days keeps lengthening. Weeks could go by without a cool breeze, and households need to know how to handle it. Learn how energy experts keep home temperatures stable during the hottest time in history.
How the Years Have Heated Up
This year could be the third-warmest year on record, only beaten by 2023 and 2024. Last year, temperatures were projected to have risen more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. In 2023, temperatures were 1.45 degrees C higher. Many goals around negative climate impacts demand humanity keep temperatures under this benchmark.
In addition to global warming because of greenhouse gases, El Niño brought average higher temperatures.
Households and commercial buildings felt the heat on their utility bills and machinery. Legacy systems are overexerting, attempting to push out as much air as possible. Meanwhile, the price of fossil fuels powering electricity, heating and cooling remains volatile. Energy consumption is the most prominent contributor to global warming, yet people need to use it more than ever to beat the heat.
These conditions must inspire buildings to become more energy-efficient. Extreme temperatures reduce performance by:
- Exacerbating seasonal cooling patterns.
- Lowering the efficacy of intermittent renewable generators.
- Putting stress on the grid and causing blackouts.
- Encouraging excess wear and tear on equipment.
- Compromising resilience during severe weather.
How to Prepare for Warmer Weather
Many know to use blackout curtains and turn on a fan when temperatures rise. What are more specific and innovative ways to make an impact on internal conditions?
Get an Energy Audit
Plenty of experts suggest sealing air leaks or replacing insulation. An energy audit can be conducted on a building with recently installed fixtures to verify its continuing efficacy. This way, property owners can ensure there are zero entry points for cool air to escape. Some may discover poor installation or degradation, warranting replacements or retrofits.
For example, Floridians may only discover with an audit that garages can have insulation, much like an attic or crawlspace. Inadequate coverage warms the rooms surrounding it, especially if there is only one layer of a thin buffer.
Find a Cooling Center
Some regions of the world are hitting dangerous temperatures, primarily in places without central air conditioning. Residents need to know when to leave and go somewhere with better temperatures.
Third spaces like libraries, churches and community centers are ideal. Some communities have heat relief shelters, which can be found through local departments of health or housing.
Renovate for Passive Solar Design
Passive solar harnesses the sun’s heat during the coldest time of the day and defends against it when at its peak. Commercial and residential properties can embrace passive heating and cooling architecture by:
- Installing awnings.
- Incorporating landscaping to provide shade.
- Using low-emissivity windows to prevent heat from entering.
- Installing materials with high thermal mass strategically.
One case study incorporated passive solar design in Texan homes and cut heating and cooling needs by up to 75%, which is pivotal in these hot climates.
Create a Cross Breeze
Opening a window could let a gentle wind indoors, but it is more effective if the hot air can escape as easily as it enters. Create at least two openings via a door or window on opposing sides of an open space. Skylights are also powerful resources for creating cross breezes. Try keeping these breezes on the bottom floors of the building, as the warm air will rise and make lower levels more comfortable.
Change Cooking Habits
Offices and households would benefit from changing their cooking habits to methods requiring less power. Ovens and stovetops are intensive, heating small spaces with little effort. Many alternative methods are gentler on the thermostat, such as:
- Slow cookers
- Air fryers
- Toaster ovens
- Pressure cookers
- Sous vides
Workers can also suggest energy-efficient replacements for larger appliances. These may produce less heat compared to conventional models.
Leverage Data
Installing sensor-based devices in the home to automate temperature management is one way energy pros control buildings. These technologies are responsive and interconnected.
This means a thermostat will detect outside temperatures and measure occupancy, telling HVAC systems and humidifiers how to respond. These features eliminate a lot of guesswork from manual utility management, removing human error and increasing efficiency.
These grid-interactive systems could also predict when an outage may occur and prepare the home accordingly.
Paint the Roof
Cool roofs reflect heat away from one of the most vulnerable parts of the home. Covering them with a white, reflective coating can lower cooling expenses by around 40% compared to darker colors.
The home’s envelope is most susceptible to temperature fluctuations, yet it causes some of the most significant changes. Energy workers should suggest this straightforward fix for the world’s hottest geographies, as it could also help urban heat islands.
How to Protect the Home
Energy professionals should suggest these methods to households that want to stay temperate. However, they also need homes to remain standing despite extreme heat and weather. What should professionals advise property owners to do to keep damage at bay?
- Review homeowners insurance policies for weather-related damage coverage.
- Replace siding and foundation materials with alternatives that do not shrink or expand in heat.
- Obtain warranties for cooling equipment.
- Schedule maintenance for critical technologies, such as filter replacements.
Homeowners who consult energy experts for new construction ideas can protect their homes in a few additional ways.
First, they can choose the building’s orientation to minimize solar heat gain and ventilate more effectively. Secondly, they can optimize the landscaping to have heat-absorbing plants. Finally, they can construct many outdoor spaces like gazebos, canopies and covered decks to use when they want to save resources cooling the indoors.
Smarter Than the Sun
Energy professionals have countless tips to keep buildings cooler, even though 2025 is going to present some historic temperature highs. Spreading awareness of these advanced methods can broaden the industry’s knowledge of how to best serve clients. Transparency and communication are crucial as property owners fear sweating over the warmth and bill increases this year