Stay Cool
Air conditioning accounts for up to 6% of a home's energy on average for homes with AC. A few easy steps can help you keep cool, lower your AC use, and save money.
Your Impact
Action Steps & Tips
Introduction
1Close windows, doors and drapes during the day
Capture cool air. One of the easiest ways to save energy on air conditioning is to keep the hot sun out of the house during the day. If you live in a climate where it cools off at night, turn your AC off and open your windows at night to cool your home. Then in the morning, shut the windows and curtains or blinds to capture the cool air.
Reflect heat. Medium colored draperies with white plastic backings can reduce heat gains by up to 33%. Shades work the same as drapes. For extra efficiency invest in extra insulating dual shades, where one side is white and one is dark. Face the dark side inside during the summer to reflect more heat out. During the winter, reverse them so the dark side faces outside to absorb more heat.
Aim blinds up. If you have blinds, you can open them slightly and direct light up towards the ceiling without any significant heat gain. This way you can have light and keep cool. Learn more about energy efficient window coverings.
2Block the sun’s heat from the outside
Use awnings, overhangs, and shutters. Awnings, overhangs, and shutters can all help to block the sun coming in. You can also add high-reflectivity films to windows to add additional reflection. The most effective are mirror-like films on east and west facing windows. However, these films also block the sun in the winter, so are best used in climates where the main goal is summer cooling.
Grow some shade. Planting trees can also provide shade in the summer and keep your home cool. If you have cold winters, consider planting deciduous trees outside south or west-facing windows that will provide shade in the summer and then drop their leaves to provide sun in the winter. If you plant a tree, take credit on the Plant a Tree action!
3More cooling tips and tricks
Avoid cooling space you’re not using. Close doors and vents to unoccupied rooms to lower AC use. The less space your air conditioner needs to cool, the less it will work. For example, if you have a two-story home where the upstairs is unoccupied during the day, close all the upstairs doors and only cool the first floor. However, for areas you do want to cool, keep interior doors open to increase the flow of cooled air and maximize your AC’s effectiveness.
4Use a fan to cool the room
Need less AC. In the summer heat, air motion of any kind creates a wind chill effect and makes the body feel cooler. Whether you have AC or not, a fan can help keep your home cooler during the summer. When you use a fan with your AC, you can usually set your thermostat 4°F higher and still stay comfortable. If you raise your AC thermostat settings, be sure to take credit on the Adjust Thermostat action!
Go counterclockwise. Set ceiling fans to move in a counterclockwise direction. Remember that fans cool people, not rooms, so turn the fans off when you leave the room to avoid wasting energy. If you live in a moderate climate and follow all the steps above, including a fan, you might be able to turn your AC off completely for some or all of the year!
Congrats! By adopting these Stay Cool actions you are well on your way to saving energy and reducing your impact. Learn how to get even more energy savings in the Adjust Thermostat action.