https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg5l3z7p922o
“After five heatwaves and plenty of advice on how to stay safe in what is set
to become the UK's hottest summer on record, many people continue to find it a
challenge to stay cool - particularly in their homes.
This is perhaps no surprise. More than half of homes in the UK are already at
risk of overheating and at current rates of climate change this will rise to
92% by 2050 if we do not adapt.
But in south London, on a 35C day, one 1960s ex-council house with no
air-conditioning is managing to beat the heat.
Marion Baeli's home is one of many across the UK being adapted for warmer -
maybe even 40C - British summers.
As well as being the homeowner, Baeli is an architect - and she compares her
house to a well-insulated flask.
"You wouldn't put holes in your flask if you wanted to keep the ice in. You'd
close the cap and make sure it is firmly twisted on. It's the same in this
house."
When the BBC visit Baeli on the hottest day of this summer's fourth heatwave,
her house is 10C cooler than outside.
"It feels like you have air-conditioning [inside the house] but you haven't.
This is the beauty of the Passivhaus standard," she explains.
Passivhaus is an international building standard that was developed around 35
years ago in Germany. The concept is simple: design your home to keep the
temperature constant at all times, by effectively sealing it against the
elements.
It is estimated they consume up to 90% less energy than typical houses.”
Via Frederick Wilson II.
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
