Keeping homes cool: Testing underway

Ways of keeping homes cooler in the face of more frequent and intense heatwaves is the subject of research taking place at a university.

Loughborough University is trialling practical solutions to prevent homes overheating such as external shading systems and ventilation.

Backed by the BBSA and several of its members, the study uses two identical, full-size houses which sit side-by-side.

One of the houses is unshaded, while the other is fitted with an aluminium test rig from which different external shading systems and materials can be fitted easily.

A rig is not required in a real-world circumstance as external blinds are fitted to the wall or façade of the building.

Because the two houses are the same, any difference in temperature or comfort can be directly linked to what’s being tested, in this case external shading.

The BBSA would like to thank Caribbean Blinds, Guthrie Douglas, Hunter Douglas, James Robertshaw, Serge Ferrari and Weinor for their support with this research.

Watch Loughborough University’s video on the study to find out more.

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