You are here

Home » Public Services » Homes » Heating & Cooling » Home Cooling

Home Cooling

Although your first thought for cooling may be air conditioning, there are many alternatives that provide cooling with less energy use. You might also consider fans, evaporative coolers, or heat pumps as your primary means of cooling. In addition, a combination of proper insulation, energy-efficient windows and doors, daylighting, shading, and ventilation will usually keep homes cool with a low amount of energy use in all but the hottest climates. Although ventilation is not an effective cooling strategy in hot, humid climates, the other approaches can significantly reduce the need to use air conditioning.

Featured

Principles of Heating and Cooling
To heat and cool your house efficiently, it is important to know how heat transfers to and from objects. | Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto/kryzanek.

Understanding how your home and body heat up can help you stay cool.

#AskEnergySaver: Home Cooling
Home cooling accounts for 6 percent of the average household's energy use. To help you save money by saving energy, our experts are answering your home cooling questions. | Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto/JaniceRichard

Energy Department experts answer your home cooling questions -- from how to lower your cooling costs to ways to stay cool without turning on your air conditioner.

Natural Ventilation
Opening a window is a simple natural ventilation strategy. | Credit: ©iStockphoto/Simotion

Natural ventilation is most effective in climates with cool nights and regular breezes.

Air Conditioning
Air conditioners cost U.S. homeowners more than $29 billion each year, and regular maintenance can keep your air conditioner running efficiently. | Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto/JaniceRichard

Air conditioners work much like a refrigerator, transferring heat from the interior of your home to the outside.

Fans for Cooling
Ceiling fans circulate air in a room to help keep occupants cool. | Photo courtesy of Thomas Kelsey/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

In many parts of the country, well-placed fans are sufficient to maintain comfort during the cooling season.

Evaporative Coolers
Evaporative Coolers, sometimes called swamp coolers, is another way to cool air in warm climates with low humidity. | Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/free-stock/">Public Domain Photos</a>.

In warm climates with low humidity, evaporative coolers can be a cost-effective cooling strategy.