South Africa is currently in the grip of a heatwave & drought with temperatures well above average. During this heatwave many people are looking to cool down. There are many options and some more affordable / permanent options. Air conditioners are an effective way to cool down you living environment, but they are costly to run consuming electricity. If your house is powered by renewable energy you might not even have enough generating capacity.

Lucky there are more energy efficient solutions to cool down your house and person.

Some tips to survive the heatwave.

Some investments you can make which are cost effective and long term.

• Insulation, not only will this keep your house cooler in summer but keep you warmer in winter as well.
• Start growing some trees which will shade parts of your roof.
• If your roof is of a dark color, consider painting it in a lighter color. The darker the color the more heat is retained. Some newly developed paints have insulating factors as well.
• A lot of heat gets in through windows, why not install a tint, many cars have this which keeps them cooler and it is a safety feature as well.

Some tips which will help cooling you down right now cost effectively

• Open windows/doors early in the mornings to let cool air in. Leave them open during the day to generate a draft, to avoid heat build up.
• Invest in some fans to create a breeze, this will help cool you down as well. Some of them even operate with water/ice to create evaporation cooling. The added advantage is that it will humidify your living environment as well.
• Stay out of the sun and look for shady areas
• And last but not least. If you have a pool why not take a swim so once in a while. It will refresh you nicely.

This current heatwave is partly caused by El Niño a weather pattern associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific. It affects the climate worldwide. One other reason is global warming triggered by the burning of fossil fuels. Conserving energy and making use of Renewable Energy will help to keep our earth cooler and more comfortable to live in.

Hope some of these tips will help you survive the heatwave. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water as it is easy to become dehydrated.