It's hot today. Glad we have free AC!

[kenny]

OUCH!
Been in this house 25 years; this may be the hottest day I've seen.
I like to do my bit to fight climate change.



Here is what my thermometers show, even though we don't have AC:

You ask, how can your house be 22 deg cooler than outside?

Our 100 year old house is mostly original.
All walls and ceilings are that old fashioned lath and plaster.
It weighs a ton compared to modern drywall, but it insulates really well!
All windows are original single-pane so no insulation there.

We've never had AC, or felt we really needed it.
Sure, there are maybe 10 or 20 days a year AC would be nice to have, but I know I'd get spoiled and use it all the time.

I do a couple other things.
During summer all the windows that get direct sun get a very cheap but effective treatment.
Home Depot sells big 8' x 4' x 1/2" sheets of insulation for $10.
Here's one cut down.



It's Tyvek Styrofoam with one side covered in a reflective mylar silver mirror-like film.
I custom cut them to fit tightly inside the window frames that receive direct sun.

Also I monitor indoor and outdoor temps.
Twice a day (when temps are the same) we open or close windows to cool the house in the summer and warm the house in the winter.
Of course in the winter we welcome into the house maximum solar energy.

It ain't pretty, but it's very cheap and very green (zero electricity draw), and it's not really that much trouble.

 

[yssie]

My parents’ windows are also single pane. They buy big clear plastic sheets and attach them to the inside windowsill - makes an airspace between the glass and the plastic, really helps insulate temperature inside (both hot and cold!) but lets light in

 

[kenny]

My parents’ windows are also single pane. They buy big clear plastic sheets and attach them to the inside windowsill - makes an airspace between the glass and the plastic, really helps insulate temperature inside (both hot and cold!) but lets light in

Love it ... simple, smart, green, resourceful, outside the box thinking, and un-lemurlike.
I realize not everyone lives in a mild temperate climate like ours, but I do admire folks who make choices that reduce global warming.

I do remove the reflective panels when the direct sun is not shining on a particular window.
Actually though, I've noticed that lower light makes it seem cooler.

But yeah, blocking the light has its downsides.
To me it's a small sacrifice to save $$$$ on electricity ... Oh, and getting bragging rights on the Internet.

 

[Matata]

I have cellular shades -- let in light and block heat and cold. Got them from Budget Blinds, easier than putting up and taking down stuff each year.