Green Living Guide: How to Use Less Air Conditioning Comfortably
How to Go Green, Help the Environment and Save Money
How to Go Green #1: Green Living with Thermostats
As part of a BGE pilot program, we set our thermostat to 80F at 2PM and back to 72F at 7PM on especially hot days. Our house stayed under 75F yet we reduced our electricity usage 72% during the hottest hours of the season1. You can reduce air conditioning use with manual thermostats, but it's easier with programmable ones.
How to Go Green #2: Green Living with Ceiling and Tower Fans
Fans reduce the need for air conditioning using your body's natural cooling system. Breezes cause sweat to evaporate more quickly, cooling your body with less air conditioning. Ceiling fans save up to 40% on air conditioning costs2. In rooms with no ceiling fans, use a tower fan.
How to Go Green #3: Green Living with Windows
Even on hot days, the outdoors cools down faster than your home. Keep windows closed daytime when outdoor temperatures are high, opening them once temperatures drop below 70F. Opening windows on opposite sides of your house may even get a nice breeze going.
How to Go Green #4: Green Living with Shades
Keep your shades closed during the day, especially if the sun hits those windows. At night, open the shades to let more heat radiate out, cooling your home.
How to Go Green #5: Green Living (Literally) with Trees
Planting trees near the southern side of your house (northern if you're Down Under) will shade your house, reducing the heat beating down on it. Trees also take in carbon from the air, adding another green living benefit to the environment.
How to Go Green #6: Green Living with Fewer Unneeded Lights
Put your hand near a lit light bulb (don't touch!) and you'll feel the heat. Turn off unneeded lights and electronics and you'll reduce the heat dissipated in your home. This lets you go green both directly through reduced lighting power, and indirectly through reduced air conditioning.
How to Go Green #7: Green Living with Attic and Whole-House Fans
The hottest space in your house is the attic, or directly under the ceiling of the upper level. Attic fans or whole-house fans can be pricey, but they're very effective at cooling down those hot spots, making the rest of your home more comfortable.
How to Go Green #8: Green Living with Attic Insulation
If your attic is not sufficiently insulated, adding insulation will keep your home comfortable with less air conditioning.
Bottom Line of Green Living with Less Air Conditioning
The above are eight mostly inexpensive and simple, yet powerful tips on how to go green, using less air conditioning. Each will save you money and help the environment without breaking a sweat, as part of a green living strategy.
1Use Your Thermostat to Save Big on Your Electric Bill This Summer
Published by Opher Ganel
Researcher, teacher, photographer, storyteller. Creativity is my escape from the day-to-day. View profile
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- Green living through reduced air conditioning can be done without discomfort.
- You can go green, help the environment, and save money, all while keeping cool.
- Green living can be simple and inexpensive.
10 Comments
Post a CommentThanks for the great list of tips!
Great tips! I just wrote an article on advantages of electrostatic furnace filters.
Excellent tips! We try not to use our air conditioning too much. I live in the mountains and ceiling fans make a big difference in our summer electric bills.
Great tips on ways to go green comfortably!
Excellent green living tips. The thermostat thing was something I never knew! Learn something new every day.
Hmmm we currently use our ceiling fan to store extra dust on. May have to see if it still works.
Very good tips!
Great write up.
Great article, Opher! Our air conditioning went down for a while this last summer. We saved money, but not on purpose. We used a lot of the tips mentioned to stay cool and some I am definitely going to remember to save money.
Excellent tips. We don't have air conditioning, and keeping the house closed up during the day and opening windows at night is very effective.