Report calls for passive cooling to be prioritised

A new report calls for passive cooling to be prioritised.

The Environmental Audit Committee paper looks at heat resilience and sustainable cooling.

It notes: ‘Although the UK has not yet experienced blackouts due to peak energy demand related to cooling in the summer, such peaks have occurred and have led to coal-fired power stations being brought into service, thereby increasing the carbon content of the UK’s energy mix.

‘It is essential, therefore, that as well as continuing action to decarbonise the grid, ministers adopt an approach to heat resilience adaptation which prioritises passive cooling–that is, the use of measures which do not require energy consumption.’

Solar shading is a proven, passive way to reduce overheating and, therefore, air-conditioning use. Read more here.