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No. A properly designed and insulated building should not need very much of either. So where are the KWh / sq m comparisons? Or comparing insulation levels? H

No. A properly designed and insulated building should not need very much of either. So where are the KWh / sq m comparisons? Or comparing insulation levels? How did she reach this conclusion? Maybe it's better than heating in a comparably insulated building. No chance of finding out from this rubbish. Given McArdle's background, I probably shouldn't expect the piece to mention any of that.

criddell 7y ago
> A properly designed and insulated building should not need very much of either. Haven't the standards for what that means shifted considerable the past 40 years? These days it seems like there's a lot more expected indoor/outdoor air exchange than was done in the 1980's. > Maybe it's better than heating in a comparably insulated building. Cooling has one big advantage in that solar can provide a lot of the power needed during peak usage time. My instincts would tell me that if you make the right choices, the carbon impact of keeping a house cool in a hot climate may be less than of keeping a house warm in a cold climate.
rayiner 7y ago
> A properly designed and insulated building should not need very much of either. Where are these magical "properly designed and insulated buildings?" Also, how does insulation help keep out infrared radiation, which is a key heating source if your place has sufficient windows.
- lm28469 7y ago
  Not sure if my experience is the norm but most of the flats I lived in (california) had single pane windows, most of them weren't sealing, and they had next to no wall insulation. A properly insulated building doesn't replace a/c but it sure lower the needs for both. It's like if you used your freezer as a fridge by leaving the door cracked open, it works fine to keep beer cold but there might be more efficient ways to do it.
- jdietrich 7y ago
  >Also, how does insulation help keep out infrared radiation, which is a key heating source if your place has sufficient windows. Low-emissivity glass, plus shutters and screens. http://glassed.vitroglazings.com/topics/how-low-e-glass-works http://glassed.vitroglazings.com/topics/how-low-e-glass-work...
- NeedMoreTea 7y ago
  Well double and triple glazing, usually with coatings to minimise solar heating are readily enough available. A lot of the rest of the magic comes from old approaches found in most regions before we had cheap heating and cooling that encouraged cheap building that paid no heed to locale. Usually working with the local environment - to encourage shade, cooling, airflow, or to retain heat. Simple stuff like solar chimneys, windcatchers, or for cooler areas encouraging a greenhouse effect, far removed from full blown passive houses. Most of which can benefit from modern materials and controls, and be combined with aircon and central heating to achieve comfort for a lot less fuel.
seanmcdirmid 7y ago
> A properly designed and insulated building should not need very much of either. If you are talking about the hermetically sealed buildings in Germany that have great energy efficiency...they also have a pretty stuffy, like no air is circulating.

criddell 7y ago

> A properly designed and insulated building should not need very much of either. Haven't the standards for what that means shifted considerable the past 40 years? These days it seems like there's a lot more expected indoor/outdoor air exchange than was done in the 1980's. > Maybe it's better than heating in a comparably insulated building. Cooling has one big advantage in that solar can provide a lot of the power needed during peak usage time. My instincts would tell me that if you make the right choices, the carbon impact of keeping a house cool in a hot climate may be less than of keeping a house warm in a cold climate.

rayiner 7y ago

> A properly designed and insulated building should not need very much of either. Where are these magical "properly designed and insulated buildings?" Also, how does insulation help keep out infrared radiation, which is a key heating source if your place has sufficient windows.

lm28469 7y ago
Not sure if my experience is the norm but most of the flats I lived in (california) had single pane windows, most of them weren't sealing, and they had next to no wall insulation. A properly insulated building doesn't replace a/c but it sure lower the needs for both. It's like if you used your freezer as a fridge by leaving the door cracked open, it works fine to keep beer cold but there might be more efficient ways to do it.
jdietrich 7y ago
>Also, how does insulation help keep out infrared radiation, which is a key heating source if your place has sufficient windows. Low-emissivity glass, plus shutters and screens. http://glassed.vitroglazings.com/topics/how-low-e-glass-works http://glassed.vitroglazings.com/topics/how-low-e-glass-work...
NeedMoreTea 7y ago
Well double and triple glazing, usually with coatings to minimise solar heating are readily enough available. A lot of the rest of the magic comes from old approaches found in most regions before we had cheap heating and cooling that encouraged cheap building that paid no heed to locale. Usually working with the local environment - to encourage shade, cooling, airflow, or to retain heat. Simple stuff like solar chimneys, windcatchers, or for cooler areas encouraging a greenhouse effect, far removed from full blown passive houses. Most of which can benefit from modern materials and controls, and be combined with aircon and central heating to achieve comfort for a lot less fuel.

seanmcdirmid 7y ago

> A properly designed and insulated building should not need very much of either. If you are talking about the hermetically sealed buildings in Germany that have great energy efficiency...they also have a pretty stuffy, like no air is circulating.