Cool mornings heat up to hot, hot summer afternoons in Central Contra Costa County, and this weekend is no exception — triple-digit temperatures are expected to hit Friday and Saturday, followed by a week in the high 90s.
The heat means a strain on the power grid as homes and businesses crank the air conditioning, finding refuge from the heat but working up a higher electric bill. The cold air is an inviting, quick fix, and an easy cure for heat-induced insomnia. But is there another way?
One Pleasant Hill resident commenting on the Pleasant Hill Patch Facebook page says she has never once used air conditioning to cool the house in her 40 years of living in Central County. Instead, she puts fans in front of the windows in the evening to pull in the cool air and send the hot air out. During the hottest part of the day, usually in the afternoon, she shuts up the house to keep the coolness inside.
How do you keep the house cool? Share your tips in the comments below.
Trees and landscaping does wonders and doesn't cost very much. Strategically located deciduous trees let the sun shine in during the sun's low arc across the sky and then block the sun during the hottest time of the summer. People should also consider shading concrete and avoid putting pavement right up against the house. Concrete will gain heat during the day and create a huge thermal mass that takes a very long time to release that heat.
AtticFan.com