Ten ways to a cooler environment

Trees vines and shrubs

Trees play an important role in the cooling of the environment, and perhaps the most significant factor in the cooling process. Proper landscaping is important in maximizing the benefits of a cooler interior space. Trees should be strategically planted, specifically to the west and south sides of your house or building and must be tall enough to be effective. In addition, vines are also useful for cooling and shading. They should be allowed to grow in the form of a trellis and placed at least six inches from the wall of the hottest side of the house for cooler air. Shrubs are also effective in blocking sunlight. The most desirable shrubs are those that grow at a fixed height and require low maintenance.

Walls and pavements

Walls and pavements for your home, office buildings, etc., must be kept at a minimum, especially on the west and south sides of the building, as they radiate heat and increase in temperature. Utilizing grass pavements greatly reduce heat radiation. Studies revealed that the temperature of an asphalt/concrete surface is hotter than the surface area of inter-locking bricks and that of a grass surface. These types of surfaces are able to radiate less heat because of evaporation and evapo-transpiration from porous surface and grass surface respectively. It is therefore important to choose high albedo paving materials, which have the ability to reflect the visible, infrared, and ultraviolet wavelengths of sunlight. The entire absorption of a surface of solar radiation has an albedo of 0.0, and a surface with complete reflectivity, an albedo of 1.0.

Reflecting and blocking heat

Selecting the right colours and shades for your home can make a big difference with the interior temperatures of the house/building. Light coloured surfaces on your exterior walls will reflect most of the heat from the building, while dark coloured exterior surfaces do quite the opposite, absorbing 70 to 90 percent of the heat energy from the sun. Through conduction, this heat energy is transferred into the house or building. Additionally, devices such as awnings, solar screens, louvers and shutters may be used to block heat from entering your interior space. Flexibility is also possible while using these devices, and may be taken into consideration at the time of purchase. For example, you may need retractable awnings to allow more air or light to enter, or to adjust normally, to act as a shade from the heat or sun. Adjustments are also possible for the other devices.

Blackout curtains

Blackout curtains block out light from where they are placed in the house, thus creating a cooler environment. The backing of a blackout curtain is made with a tightly woven, usually multiple layered fabric. Some brands claim up to 99.9 percent reduction in light.

Blocking out light during the day is useful for persons who work in the nights and have to sleep and get proper rest during the day. They are beneficial for both summer time and winter time, where inside the house is kept cool during summer and warm in winter. One will therefore realize a reduction in energy bill. Blackout shades and blinds are also effective, but the shades are most suitable for smaller windows. Blinds are more flexible in regulating the amount of light entering the house. One must be careful when choosing blackout curtains, as some are made of vinyl or PVC material, which comes with health risks.

Thermal chimneys

Thermal chimneys operate as passive or non-mechanical solar ventilation systems. Mechanical systems include ventilation in the home from electric fans and air conditioning units. Utilizing the principle of convective cooling, thermal chimneys exchange air by allowing the in-flow of cool air and pushing out hot air from the inside. It follows the theory that hot air rises. The chimney eliminates heat from the house during daytime in exchange for cool air externally.

 

Roof vents

Roof vents such as your attic are very helpful in eliminating hot air in the house, and thus create and maintain a cool environment. A ventilated attic can significantly reduce the amount of heat in the house. The doors and windows in the house must be left open to allow free movement of air. For two-storey houses the warm air in the house will be drawn upwards and out the upper window, an effect called ‘thermal siphoning’. This is most effective when the inside temperature is higher than the outside temperature.Roof vents are easy to install and are inexpensive.

Lights and appliances

All households should make an effort and switch to the more energy-efficient LED lighting. These generate 90 percent less heat and utilize 75 percent less electricity. Only 5 percent of the energy generated from an incandescent bulb is used as lighting; the remaining 95 percent is generated as heat. LED bulbs will be more expensive initially, but will cost less in the long run, as they last much longer than incandescent and fluorescent bulbs. Placing heat generating devices in the wrong places, such as your lamp and television near the air-conditioning unit, will cause the unit to run longer. Also, it is more energy efficient to cook with a microwave, pressure cooker or barbeque. Microwaves are much more energy efficient than other cooking devices and generate little or no heat. The pressure cooker does the cooking job faster, therefore utilizes less energy and less heat. Barbequing is designed for outside, thus the heat will remain on the outside. Additionally, to reduce heat, humidity and energy costs it would be helpful to install exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom; also cover pots when cooking. For your washer and dryer it is best to use in the morning or late evening, when there is less heat, and always wash full loads. Hang clothes on outside line to dry. This practice may also be adopted for your dishwasher, and air-dry dishes to reduce the amount of heat that would be generated. For your water heater, insulate with fibreglass insulation and tuck tape to contain heat, and be careful not to cover the vents. Also, you may use a water heater blanket for insulation. To minimize on the loss of cool interior air, your fireplace must be closed during the summertime.

 

Direct and Indirect Radiative cooling

Buildings can be designed to optimize direct radiation cooling. The roof of the building works as a heat sink, which absorbs the interior heat during the day. Cooling during the night takes place when the roof surface is exposed to the night sky. This heat is transferred with the night sky, which removes the heat from the roof of the building. A design using the roof pond or plastic bags with water are popular methods for this purpose. The mode of cooling or heating is regulated by a system of movable insulation panels. The process is reversed during the winter, where the pond absorbs solar radiation in the day and in the night this heat is discharged into the space below. For indirect radiant cooling, a fluid acts as a heat transfer, removing heat by the process of radiate heat transfer with the night sky from the building. A plenum is placed between the building roof and the radiator surface. In a similar way to direct radiative cooling, during the day the building acts as a heat sink. The mass of the building surface is cooled when air passes through the plenum and is cooled from the radiator.

Evaporative cooling

Evaporative cooling increases the humidity of the environment by evaporating water to cool the surrounding air. It uses a saturated filter at the inlet to facilitate the natural process of evaporation to cool the air. Water is the main source that conditions the atmosphere, in addition to the energy to operate the fan. The dryer the outside air the greater the cooling impact. Evaporative cooling requires 75 percent less power than an air condition unit. This was confirmed by a field study in Kuwait. Another study also confirmed that the interior temperature created by an evaporative cooling unit is 9.6 degrees Celsius less than the outdoor temperature.

 

Direct and Indirect Earth Coupling

One effective method of cooling a building is by earth coupling. The consistent and moderate temperature of the soil acts as a heat sink to facilitate cooling by conduction. This is most effective when the surrounding air temperature is warmer than the earth temperatures. Direct coupling or earth sheltering is when the earth is used as a buffer for the walls of the building. Indirect coupling takes place through an earth duct, which is a buried tube serving as a route for air to travel to the building. Conductive heat transfer is the process by which the air is cooled between the soil and the concrete tubes. The cool air is pulled by a fan from the air duct and into the building. Factors affecting the effectiveness of an earth duct are: thickness of duct, length, diameter, depth, number of bends and air velocity.

Relaxation methods to help relieve stress

Making the time for relaxation of the mind and body will effectively help to relieve you from the influence of stress, which impacts your life on a daily basis. According to information from the MedicineNet website, “from a biological point of view stress can be a neutral, negative or positive experience.” Stress is therefore not all negative as we may always want to think.

It is important that one find ways and means to relax in order to combat, or provide relief from the internal and external stressors faced during the everyday interactions. Its impact is based on our environment or our particular situation. Stress relief methods rejuvenate and reenergize, creating a difference in how you may relate to someone, and also improve your ability to cope with challenging situations.

Stress, while it can potentially create a strain on the body, resulting in negative repercussions, it is a natural part of everyday life. It is often said that, “stress is what we allow to affect us.” Take for instance, similar situation existing in the lives of two persons, this situation may cause stress for one individual while for the other person it is just not an issue! This may be as a result of what this individual has been exposed to and have become accustomed to over time, so it therefore becomes a normal way of living for the individual. For the other person, it is up to him or her to adapt or remain stressed.

There is a choice! It speaks to one’s ability to relax and remain calm, knowing that worrying cannot change or solve the situation; it will only reduce your energy levels, you become exhausted, and affect your ability to think clearly and find a solution for the problem.

There are a myriad of relaxation methods that will help to relieve both the external stressors such as work, relationships, finance and family, and the internal stressors such as anger, health issues, loneliness, unemployment and unrealistic expectations.

Whichever is the individual’s preference of relaxation, it is what he or she is comfortable with, and finds suitable, based on his or her level of fitness, health status, and what is convenient at a particular time. At the end of it all it will be what works best in producing the most effective results for the individual. Some of the most simple and common methods of relaxation are:

– Deep breathing

– Meditation

– Body massage

– Listening to music (mainly classical)

– Playing games

– Spending time alone

– Engaging nature

These may be practiced individually or in combination. Combining these methods will help in achieving the best results.

Other relaxation techniques which may not readily come to mind, but have proven to be very effective in dealing with the many stress factors that often impact your life, are as follows:

Breathing meditation

This will require undivided attention. It is using the abdomen to breathe deeply, which will also enable you to inhale more oxygen, allowing the lungs to get as much fresh air as possible. You will feel less tense and less anxious. This method is simple, yet powerful.

Progressive muscle relaxation

The process involves two steps, where the different muscle groups in the body are systematically tensed and relaxed. It requires that you move up slowly through the body, contracting and relaxing the different muscle groups. Practicing this method regularly provides complete relaxation. As your body relaxes, your mind will also relax. This method can be combined with deep breathing for additional stress relief.

Body scan meditation

Body scan is similar to progressive muscle relaxation; the difference is that you simply pay attention to the sensations in each part of your body, rather than the tensing and relaxing of muscles.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness meditations are popularly used to reduce overwhelming stress. One form is allowing you to follow and then release internal thoughts or sensations. This method of meditation provides the ability to remain aware of how you are feeling at the present moment, internally and externally. It helps you to stay calm and focused for the present moment, returning your nervous system back into balance. Activities such as walking, exercising, eating or meditation can be applied to mindfulness.

Visualization meditation

This is also known as guided imagery, and it is a traditional method of meditation where you employ not only your visual sense, but also your senses of smell, touch, taste and sound. With this relaxation technique, visualization involves imagining a scene in which you feel a sense of peace, and the freedom to let go of all tension and anxiety.

Yoga and Tai chi

This form of relaxation if practiced regularly, helps to strengthen the relaxation response in your daily life. Yoga entails a sequence of moving and stationary poses in combination with deep breathing. It lessens anxiety and stress, and improves strength, stamina, balance and flexibility. If practiced incorrectly injuries can occur, it’s therefore best to learn by attending group classes or following video instructions.

Tai chi focuses on breathing and attention in the present moment. It is self-paced and involves a non-competitive series of slow, flowing body movements. The emphasis is on concentration, relaxation, and the awareness of vital energy circulating throughout the body. It calms the mind, conditions the body and relieves stress.

The good thing about practicing relaxation technique is that it can be done while performing other functions or daily routine, whether you are traveling, working eating or taking a shower. Improve your ability to relax; practice becomes custom.

In the beginning…

God created…

We are engaged with a great God through His great creation, as such our aim is to accomplish great things on his behalf. This makes us aware of the fact that there is no place for mediocrity in Mother Earth’s Kingdom, and therefore motivates and empowers us for new visions, which inspire new thinking, bringing about  new exploits.

Plan and do something for the environment today. Play your part!

We continue to seek his direction in all our endeavours.

God Bless!… and remember to take care of the environment and it will take care of you.