Your home has countless opportunities to incorporate sustainable heating and cooling. Environmentalists and energy-conscious families know weatherstripping and adding more window panes are two actions ideal for securing internal temperatures. However, more inspiring cooling technologies are available to curb electricity consumption further.

Incorporate Phase-Change Materials (PCMs)

PCMs alter their state of matter based on their environment. Most are installed in building envelopes to regulate thermal activity where the house is most vulnerable. A liquid may turn into a gas as it heats up, or a solid may melt into a liquid as it absorbs heat.

As homes cool down in the evening, the materials can solidify again to handle some of the freeze before it radiates throughout the buildings. Using PCMs to assume some of this burden lowers reliance on air conditioning — especially in passive homes — and makes temperatures more consistent, even during peak hours.

Use Evaporative Roof Cooling

Several cool roof ideas have become popular over the years, like white, reflective shingles or green roofs to grow vegetables for your family. Each pushes light away or absorbs heat before your house brings it indoors. Evaporative roofs put a thin layer of water over the surface, which evaporates in the heat. The process has a cooling effect and alleviates HVAC burdens.

Rework Your Chimney

A solar chimney works similarly to a conventional fireplace without needing to stoke flames. When not in use for cozy winter evenings, it uses a mixture of PCMs and paint to act like a tunnel for hot air. It responds to environmental stimuli to activate, making it a genuinely passive temperature regulation strategy.

The shaft is coated in black paint to hold on to solar gains. You can leave the chimney topper open so the collected warmth has somewhere to escape. It will naturally rise, being pulled out like a vacuum. As this occurs, households experience a cooling draft. However, a solar chimney’s efficiency changes based on its materials.

Reimagine Hardscaping

Hardscaping elements, like retaining walls and walkways, have as much influence on the home’s cooling potential as indoor design choices. Every natural and inorganic element on the perimeter enhances or detracts from your home’s ability to maintain temperatures.

For example, asphalt pavement can get as hot as 152 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas, which makes the building’s exterior even warmer. Replacing elements known for harnessing heat is ideal. Cool pavements lower temperatures by 10-16 degrees. Overhangs are another powerful tool for directing sunlight away from your walls.

Install Radiant Cooling

Some cooling technologies have a radiant cooling effect as a by-product, but there are more options if you want a sustainable cooling system designed specifically for this. Dedicated radiant cooling equipment installs panels throughout the home’s facade, including walls and ceilings. These panels have cold water in them, which lowers the impacts of rising heat as they absorb it. It stabilizes internal conditions better than forced-air equipment.

Make Your Windows Smarter

Cool air has less of a chance to escape if there are plenty of panes and quality seals around windows. Smart window films are another recent innovation that makes them even more productive.

These reduce solar heat gain according to your preference. Films come in different shades depending on how much light and warmth you want to enter the building. They can even make windows in garages better to use.

Natural light is desirable, but it sometimes compromises energy efficiency if the area is not insulated. Adding smart films is one way to help, but you can also switch to smaller windows to lower surface area for heat transfer or add awnings on the outside to block some sunlight.

Use Geothermal Heating and Cooling

Many homes default to solar panels when considering residential renewable energy, but geothermal heating and cooling are just as viable in countless communities. The Earth’s innate heat pushes water through ground-source heat pumps. The pipes surround the home, deliver a constant cooling effect and can absorb your house’s heat back into the ground.

Solar panels can use the sun’s rays as energy, reducing some cooling burdens. However, depending on which type of geothermal setup you get, the pipe infrastructure could be more comprehensive for cooling the entire building. They also produce fewer greenhouse gases than conventional natural gas heaters, which can create an average of 6,400 pounds of carbon dioxide.

Plant Vertical Gardens

Take the idea of a green roof and apply it to your walls. A vertical garden makes your exterior thrive with life and provides shade as the plants soak up the heat. It holds onto water until it becomes vapor to cool the envelope, boosting the property’s water management capabilities, too.

The greenery is a shield against pelting rain and brutal sun rays, which saves families from manually changing thermostats every afternoon when the heat becomes unbearable. For city dwellers, this is particularly important. Vertical gardens and green roofs work together to lower the urban heat island effect that can make concrete jungles hotter than surrounding areas.

Try Whole-House Fans

Single-room and ceiling fans are somewhat effective, but whole-house options ensure cool air circulates everywhere. They draw in outside air and push it through internal ventilation systems. The technology is ideal when the temperatures outside are cooler than inside, which is why most people use it at night.

Please note, whole-house fans are only best in specific circumstances. The system will require two to four times the average vent area of standard systems, so ensure your home is fit for this installation. They lack innate filtration, so regions with known air pollutant problems or smog may want to use another method. They also do not dehumidify, so supplementary equipment is necessary to regulate this unless you live in a drier climate.

Have Sunshine Without the Heat With Sustainable Cooling Solutions

Leveraging natural processes is one of the best ways to reduce energy needs. Each sustainable cooling system can work with the others, making homes more comfortable and affordable. It is essential for households to experiment with various cooling technologies because the world is only getting warmer. Greener machinery and design choices will prepare buildings to fight and adapt to the climate crisis.