The 'active' cooling demand in buildings and homes is increasing
Published on:
25 March 2024
What contribution can a municipality make to the increase in cooling demand?
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Municipality is heatproof if
- The use of air conditioning is limited as much as possible (no cooling up to 18 degrees in the summer) and cooling is done as much as possible with natural ventilation.
- The cooling of buildings does not lead to heating of the (residential) space in the immediate vicinity.
- When making buildings more sustainable, the cooling demand during heat waves is also taken into account, including associated measures.
Measures
- Stimulate natural (summer night) ventilation and sun protection measures through subsidies.
- Give advice for the effective and healthy use of air conditioners.
- Construct homes and buildings in such a way that they can not only retain heat, but also dissipate it well (good heat/cold balance in insulation).
Tips
- Using the heat vulnerability overview, create an overview of the districts and neighborhoods where the problem of an increasing need for cooling occurs.
- Discuss with the district manager whether and how contact can be made with neighborhood or district representatives to discuss raising awareness about spray ventilation. Mention that windows are best opened in the evening and early morning. During the day they prefer to close again when it gets warmer outside.
- Use the guide 'Heat in existing homes' (in Dutch) and the Ladder of Cooling (in Dutch) to explain to residents how they can keep the home cool without air conditioning. You can also find it on this website (in Dutch) fact sheets about the effectiveness and sustainability of cooling techniques.
- In the heat communication plan (from the heat plan), also draw attention to natural ventilation instead of air conditioning for cooling.
- State in a municipal regulation that cooling may not lead to heating of the outdoor area. Talk to colleagues from energy transition/sustainability and with corporations about the risk of warming of buildings due to sustainability and make agreements about how this can be included in sustainability.
Commissioned by:
- Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning
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