Forget AC! Cool Your Home Naturally

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Turbine ventilators. The little whirling globes you may have seen on rooftops of older industrial buildings are turbine ventilators. Now making a comeback in naturally cooled homes, these vents use air motion at the roof level to pull air out of the house. While they act somewhat like a fan, they are entirely run by the breeze, which catches the fins of the turbine ventilator and makes it spin, pulling air upward and out through its openings. Cooler air can then enter at a lower level to replace the exhausted air.

Excerpted from Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House: Bringing Your Home into Harmony with Nature, which is highly recommended by Mother Earth, and a finalist for the 2007 Nautilus Book Award given for distinguished contributions to positive social change. To order, visit the authors’ Web site.

Easy Breezes: Ceiling Fans & More

Fans and evaporative coolers cost less to run than traditional air conditioning and can help keep room temperatures comfortable.

Ceiling fans. People tolerate higher temperatures when air is in motion, and ceiling fans are a relatively energy-efficient, affordable way to enhance your house’s natural airflow. For example, ceiling fans allow you to raise your home’s temperature during summer months by 4 degrees and still enjoy the same comfort level. Plus, if you raise the thermostat from 70 to 74 degrees, you’ll reduce air conditioning costs by about 30 percent. And ceiling fans typically use only about as much energy as a 100-watt light bulb. For the most efficient models, search for “ceiling fans” at the Energy Star Web site. Here are some pointers to maximize your comfort when using ceiling fans, while minimizing your energy usage:

• Turn off the fan when nobody’s in the room. Air movement cools people, not rooms.
• Adjust the controls seasonally. In summer, use the ceiling fan in the downward (counterclockwise) airflow direction and position yourself in the path of the moving air; the higher the air speed, the greater the cooling effect. In winter, reverse the motor and operate the ceiling fan in a clockwise direction at low speed to bring warm air near the ceiling down into the
  occupied space.

Whole house fans. These fans often can be the most cost-effective way to cool a home in moderate climates, according to Rocky Mountain Institute, a think tank that advises corporations and governments on energy use. Whole house fans circulate air by pulling cool breezes in from lower floor windows and venting air out through the roof. The fans typically cost about $500 to install and have low operating costs. Be sure the whole house fan is properly installed to avoid heat loss in winter.

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