5 Tipps, wie du deine Wohnung kühl bekommst – ohne Klimaanlage! I Ökochecker SWR

Summers are getting hotter and hotter, and apartments are becoming unbearably warm. We've compiled 5 tips on how to keep your apartment cool and explain why air conditioning isn't the solution. ... 00:00 Intro 01:18 Tip 1: Ventilate properly 01:50 Tip 2: Place the fan upside down at the window 02:15 Tip 3: Close shutters and blinds 02:30 Tip 4: Apply UV film to the outside of the windows to save several degrees of heat 05:06 Tip 5: Combine a fan with a water spray 07:23 Tips for homeowners: Greenery, insulation, and light-colored facades 09:00 Air conditioners compared: Monoblock, split units, and heat pumps 10:20 Environmentally harmful refrigerants in air conditioners 13:00 Hotter summers, heat-related deaths, and tropical nights 14:18 Conclusion COOLING WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING – 5 TIPS Proper ventilation can keep your apartment cool for a long time – without air conditioning. Here's how: Open as many windows as possible, ideally at night and in the early morning when the air is still cold. The cold draft will help cool your apartment. If there's no wind, you can also place a fan by the open window. As soon as it gets warmer outside, all windows should remain closed to keep the cold air inside. To keep it cool, shade is essential. It's best to close shutters or blinds. If you don't have shutters or blinds, you can use UV window film. This sun protection film reflects the sun's rays and thus keeps the heat out. Important: The film must be applied to the outside of the window; this is the only way to keep the heat out and prevent stress on the glass – especially in modern windows. And if you don't want to use window film, simply spray a little water on your skin and sit near a fan. The airflow will cause the droplets on your skin to evaporate, thus dissipating heat more effectively! Anyone who wants to keep the heat out of their house or apartment should consider external heat protection. Often, however, this decision rests with the landlord, leaving tenants with little control. It's best to paint facades in light colors, as this reflects the sun's rays more effectively. Additionally, ensure good insulation during new construction or renovations. Green facades, terraces, and roofs also help, as plants evaporate water through their leaves. This so-called evaporative cooling can lower the ambient air by several degrees. WHY AIR CONDITIONERS ARE NOT THE SOLUTION Air conditioners come in two types: monoblock and split units. Monoblock units are the most common in Germany: a portable air conditioner that requires no installation. Simply extend the exhaust hose, plug the unit into a power outlet, and switch it on. The problem is that warm air is constantly being drawn back in. This consumes an enormous amount of electricity! For comparison: a fan uses about 50 watts of power. A monoblock air conditioner uses 1000 watts! Split units, on the other hand, are more powerful and energy-efficient, but they also require professional installation and therefore always involve high installation costs. Both types of units use refrigerants. There are synthetic and natural refrigerants. The advantage of natural refrigerants is that they are relatively harmless to the environment. Propane, a natural refrigerant, for example, is not ozone-depleting and has a very low greenhouse effect. In contrast, synthetic refrigerants often cause problems: They can be extremely harmful to the climate. Or they harm the environment because they often belong to the controversial group of PFAS, also known as "perennial chemicals." CONCLUSION Cooling is possible sustainably and without air conditioning! With a few simple tricks, you can get through the summer months comfortably without a cooling unit and high electricity bills. Further links • Deutschlandfunk (2019): How can we cool ecologically? https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/klimaa... • Consumer Advice Center (2023): Air conditioner: Is it worth buying? https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/wi... • German Federal Environment Agency (2020): Building Climate Control. https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen... Credits Author: Judith Paland Moderator: Tobias Koch Editor (solisTV): Kathrin Gatzemeier Editor (SWR): Cordelia Marsch & Katharina Voigt Image source: SWR Legal notice, netiquette, etc. ► Subscribe to the Marktcheck channel: http://x.swr.de/s/13x1 ► Instagram @oekochecker:   / oekochecker   Ökochecker is produced by SWR ►https://www.swr.de/impressum ► Comments are welcome – but please observe our netiquette: http://www.swr.de/netiquette #oekochecker #sustainability #airconditioning