Autumn is creeping in, but as we come out of the hottest summer we’ve had in a long time, Rightmove has reported that the number of househunters searching for ‘air conditioning’ on its website has tripled.
So, is air conditioning likely to become the norm in UK homes, or are there other, potentially better ways to keep our homes cool?
We caught up with Oliver Cooney, Cala’s Group Sustainability Analyst, to find out more...
“We expect that the increased search volumes for air conditioning are from people living in older properties, as new homes are well insulated and therefore more thermally efficient. People often associate thermal efficiency with keeping warm, but it also works to keep heat out during the summer too. So, as we continue to build new homes more sustainably, with better insulation and features such as triple glazed windows, their thermal efficiency will continue to improve.
“It is unlikely that air conditioning will become standard for new homes in the UK. Instead, we will see more mechanical ventilation systems in operation. These systems keep fresh air flowing through the home, improving air quality, and preventing heat entering in summer, and heat loss in winter. What’s more, they use very little energy in comparison to air conditioning.
“We also expect that the sustainable air and ground source heating solutions, which are currently being adopted by Cala, will be put in to reverse to generate cooling too. This is likely to be seen in apartment buildings first, and will require a change in heat emitter, meaning our traditional radiators will be replaced by new technology, such as a heat pump convector.
“While new homes in the UK won’t use air conditioning in the traditional sense, smart design and sustainable technology are already helping to keep our buyers cool, while reducing their energy use and carbon footprint, and these green solutions will continue to evolve into the future.”
Find out more about what we’re doing to create more sustainable housing here.
View our properties for sale in Scotland and England on our Homes for Sale page.
