As large parts of the country continue to swelter under the grip of a scorching heatwave, it is important to understand how we can protect ourselves.
According to a study published in the journal Applied Energy, opening the windows at night and pulling down the shades during the afternoon can protect your house from becoming a heat hazard during extreme heatwaves.
Researchers found that shades and natural ventilation can keep your house temperatures out of the danger zone during a heatwave. It also reduces the load on air conditioning by up to 80 per cent.
Thanks to climate change, such extreme heat events are expected to be more frequent. So figuring out how to make a home livable during the intense summer heat becomes an increasingly urgent issue.
Such passive cooling strategies can be a lifeline for people without air conditioning. And even people with air conditioning can use this technique to lower their summer energy bills, researchers concluded.
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