Researchers find ways to keep homes cooler in summer

Bowls of ice water, open loft hatches and damp flannels are among the tricks many people have turned to in a bid to cool down at home in the summer heat.

Whether any of them work is up for debate, but researchers at Loughborough University have decided to take matters into their own hands to try and find a way to keep homes cool.

Their research has involved two identical semi-detached houses.

One remains unmodified and unshaded, while the other is fitted with an external shading system as well as heat sensors and "heat boxes" that simulate the heat produced by occupants.

Dr Ben Roberts, a senior lecturer in healthy buildings at the university, believes housing developers may need to incorporate external shading into new homes to help protect them from rising temperatures and future heatwaves.

"Air conditioning is going to be a bit of a problem for us at the moment because the electricity grid is not able to cope with that amount of electricity demand," he said.

"We will need to reinforce our electricity grid if we see the widespread uptake of air conditioning.

"I think we will see [an] increasing amount of external shading on homes.

"In future, as the climate continues to warm, in extreme areas, particularly when you can't open the windows due to noise or pollution, we may unfortunately see air conditioning."

Roberts said the study found the shaded house had "considerable protection" from the heat, with a six degree temperature reduction compared to a normal home.

The experiment has been particularly relevant so far this year due to the hot conditions.

"This has been the hottest year we have ever conducted testing in," he said.

"We have seen temperatures well over 33C (91F) in the non-shaded house, and 29C (84F) in the shaded house."

The researchers have also been investigating how simple changes to the way we ventilate our homes can help keep them cooler during hot weather.

Dr Roberts said: "Alongside the shading experiments, we've done ventilation experiments.

"These have shown during heatwaves you should keep your windows closed during the day."

He explained that although the advice may seem counterintuitive, it helps stop hot air from entering the home.

"That might seem a little bit strange, but by keeping your windows closed, you are preventing hot air from coming indoors."

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