Cooling
Fact Sheets
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Passive cooling options
More information
The average electricity cost per year from air conditioners by Energex residential customers is $315. Installing bulk insulation will reduce your air conditioning needs, and reduce your bill by about $94 per year.
Keeping cool in the hot Queensland summer can be quite a challenge.
The summer heat can often be very humid in coastal areas and very dry in inland areas, so you should tailor your cooling solutions accordingly.
There are ways that you can keep cool, reduce your impact on the environment, and save money during summer. And they’re pretty simple, too.
Getting the most out of Cooling
The most effective way of keeping your house cool is to stop as much heat as possible from getting in. Some steps you can take to achieve this are:
- Install insulation in your roof and walls, this will keep your house cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
- Close your windows and curtains in the morning to keep cool air in and stop hot air from entering. Open your windows in the evening to let cooler air in.
- Consider double glazing your windows – this allows most light through and cuts out a lot of heat.
- Planting trees outside your windows provides shade during the heat of the day.
- Choose light coloured curtains and blinds as they reflect heat.
- Choose light coloured interior paints and roof colours.
Taking these steps can reduce the temperature in your house by several degrees, which will reduce your dependence on other cooling techniques on all but the hottest days.
Pedestal and ceiling fans are an energy efficient way of cooling your house. Bear in mind that they cool us only by moving air over our skin, so switch them off if you leave the room.
If you are going to use an air conditioner, then choose one that is best suited to the Queensland climate. Air conditioners are used far more for cooling than heating in Queensland, so select one with a high energy star rating for cooling. The optimum temperature for air conditioners is 24 degrees, and they work best when you close doors to areas that don’t need to be cooled. In dry climates, consider an evaporative cooler instead.
Be aware that incandescent light bulbs use 95 percent of their energy in generating heat. Changing to CFLs reduces this significantly. It may not sound like much, but replacing these lights can lower the temperature of a room, especially if the light is on for long periods. Make it a priority
