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?
Thick (~1m) mudbrick walls. I lived in a house like that for 2 years, it felt cold inside in summer.
I assume you are looking for passive methods that aren’t air conditioning.
As others have said, thick walls that have a thermal mass. It helps if you open the building at night to help cool the walls.
The structure should be as light as possible, both the walls and roof, to reflect back light.
Windows should have large awnings so direct light doesn’t enter during summer. Everything should be in the shade.
If you can, you can create a solar chimney by having a large and dark chimney on the south side of your building. Set your building up so that there is a natural air intake which comes from below ground, so you naturally pull in cool air.
Thank you
Install solar panels on the roof and use the power to run air conditioning.
Drink a ton of water.
Plant as many plants as possible. Trees are best. Make sure to use species native to your region that deal well with the prevalent weather.
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.
I feel like there aren’t a lot of chimneys in India, but I don’t have the wherewithal to defend my assertion.
stay right there, I’m going to visit you and I’m bringing a camera to disprove your LIES!
(then we can play mario kart or something, whatever I’m easy)Double Dash?
No, no, I’m married.
Didn’t know it could be used like that. There are many Mario Kart games, like Double Dash and then the less important ones.
Not sure how your buildings are built over there so this may not apply. But an exhaust fan for the space between the ceiling and roof does wonders to cool a house after a hot day. Those attic spaces get crazy hot and hold the heat well after the sun sets and it keeps your house hotter longer. This won’t necessarily help with mid day heat, but help cool the living space as the sun goes down.
Definitely mostly brick and mortar construction therefore no attic space in India
Yea that makes sense. You could wet the brick every so often to get some evaporative cooling going and keep that heat from penetrating inside
Central air conditioning all summer long.
But before I had AC, on hot nights I’d put a cold damp rag on my feet to fall asleep easier and that really worked. I’d also put a box fan in one of my windows pointed outside, and I’d also open a window in another room so that outside air would be sucked in through my home.
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.
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/
If you’re open to it, please consider an AMA or a write-up on Kerala on Hexbear.
I’m sure people would love to hear about the political situation and life there!
Thank you.
I do support the left front, but I am not an official member, so would a casual regular person AMA on the politics be ok?
Who should I contact regarding the AMA? Hexabear mods
Hey! That’s cool you support it, and I think people would still very much appreciate it. We had someone in Palestine do AMA’s and they were a regular person too. Honestly, I’ve never yet been to India but would end up visiting Kerala when I do get the chance so it’d be cool to hear about it!
I’m not sure who to contact in particular, unfortunately. Anyone who is a mod at c/askchapo probably!
I think humidity in India is generally rather high?
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)
I learned to be cool in hot temperature by being still, in the shade, with a breeze, it’s very hot and humid here but also windy usually.
Trees help so much. It is noticeably cooler at the park than in the city.
In the house when there is not air conditioning, roofed porches and opening the windows with fans pulling air through the house helps.
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.
Take an undershirt you’re not wearing, get it soaking wet, drape it around your neck
drink water, loads of it; if you have to go out, always keep a bottle at hand. wear less clothes and keep your house fresh and ventilated, open all windows if possible. buy a/c for your bedrooms but use them just in the night, when you have to sleep. use fans where you have to work or stay during the day. to cope with the higher electric bill, consider installing solar panels on your roof, or a small wind turbine.
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?
Yes, I think it would! Not an expert though, but logically I think that should work! Depends on the angle, though, of course
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.
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.
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.
