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As good as those features might be, you're still dependent on active cooling to make it liveable. There are other measures that have been used for millenia in d
by astrodust 9y ago
As good as those features might be, you're still dependent on active cooling to make it liveable. There are other measures that have been used for millenia in desert and jungle environments where the house itself encourages particular paths of air flow that bring in cooler, fresh air and vent hot, stale air.
We've got the technology now to evolve this even further by doing computer simulations to come up with better designs, and by techniques like 3D house printing with concrete to make intricate ventilation systems that can circulate air through the floors and up through walls with zero energy cost.
- toomuchtodo 9y agoAt high humidity, you're still going to be hot and drenched in sweat. The only solution is energy efficient thermal transfer (AC, heat pump, etc) and dehumidification.
- astrodust 9y agoThere are ways of doing this that don't involve expending energy, but it requires re-thinking the very concept of the modern house. A thousand years ago you had to build things this way, you had no alternative, but now it's taken for granted that air-conditioning will solve all problems.
- toomuchtodo 9y agoFor sure, but I can't get insurance (hurricane or otherwise) on a home built to 1000 year previous standards. Do I care if the house can't cool itself naturally? I don't; I can't get a mortgage on it because I can't get insurance on it if its not built to current code. Hence why we run into this problem (which will be solved with more efficient AC and renewable energy).
- erikpukinskis 9y agoYes, this is the crux of the problem. Your state made it illegal for you to build a proper home.
- toomuchtodo 9y agoThe state didn't; market forces did (ie insurance companies).