Is your A-rated home too hot this summer? Here's what to do
Experts are warning that some energy-efficient A-rated homes are suffering from severe overheating during summer months due to poor design and insulation choices. Architects are now emphasizing the need for holistic design, including better orientation and shading, to combat climate-related indoor temperature spikes.
Why it matters
As climate change increases summer temperatures, the construction industry must adapt building standards to ensure energy-efficient homes remain habitable.
Jeff Colley, Passive House Plus editor and Fionnuala May, President of the RIAI, joined Morning Ireland to discuss the challenges climate change poses to housing and planning. Listen back above.
For many homeowners, bringing their home up to an A-rating is a goal, but during this particularly hot summer, these energy-efficient homes are presenting unexpected problems for some families.
Colley says that it is "not necessarily an issue with all A-rate homes", as some low-energy buildings are designed in such a way to avoid overheating.
He compares these overheating homes to a "thermos flask", which will "keep your iced coffee cold in the summer and keep your coffee hot in the winter".
"Of course, people don't want to live in the thermos flask", he continues.
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