ᐅ Cooling with a heat pump through underfloor heating?

In Germany, we only have a few hot weeks, and so far I have always managed very well without air conditioning. Now it is almost May, and temperatures are still in the single digits. Summer ends in September. In between, as always, there are many cool and rainy periods.

I also believe that natural shading, such as trees, is a better (and sufficient) solution than air conditioning.

South-facing windows can be effectively managed with roof overhangs or building recesses, especially since the sun fortunately changes its position throughout the seasons. Roofs can also be designed to prevent the attic from becoming unbearably hot. East and west-facing windows should have external shading (such as venetian blinds or, alternatively, deciduous trees). It would be a design mistake to disregard these factors and plan houses where "only" 2-3° cooling from the heat pump is insufficient.

This may not suit every architectural style, but it certainly applies to the vast majority of single-family homes.

Greetings from the physicist in the bunker with window area covering 40% of the living space 8-)

Bookstar schrieb:

I also think that natural shading, like trees, is the better (and sufficient) solution compared to air conditioning.

Sure, in 10-20 years they will have grown enough to provide some shade for the house—provided there is space on the relatively narrow lot and the neighbor doesn’t object. Until then, it’s either sweating or using air conditioning.

Hangman schrieb:

That might not work for every architectural style, but for the vast majority of single-family homes, it certainly does.

It’s actually the other way around. For the vast majority of single-family homes built nowadays, especially regarding architecture, there aren’t many opportunities to make major changes—one step to the left and one step to the right. Everything else exceeds the average homeowner’s budget. Just look at new residential developments. You can often only spot a few houses where any kind of summer thermal protection has been considered.

What were the most popular and frequently built houses in Germany in 2020 and 2019 again? Oh right, Flair 152 and Citylife 143 V. Unfortunately, that’s reality: off-the-shelf designs with as little customization as possible. That includes things like slightly recessed or protruding facades and extended roof eaves. Not to mention external shading devices.

Don’t get me wrong. In a perfect world, you could of course do without air conditioning, but that would require changing the construction methods of modern houses, which involves costs. In the end, the average builder chooses whatever is simply cheaper overall.

Hangman schrieb:

Greetings from a physicist in a bunker with window area of 40% of the living space

Great, that means you belong to the few exceptions (which are said to exist... or so I’ve heard).

I always find the argument that "summer is only three months and sometimes it rains" quite absurd. Summer comes every year regardless, and I don’t want to spend a quarter of my life in terrible discomfort just to make that point.
We are really looking forward to our first summer with air conditioning. In 2019, I spent several weeks with temperatures between 35-40°C (95-104°F) while heavily pregnant, and I never want to go through that again. Comfortable indoor temperatures are an important part of my quality of life. The extra cost for air conditioning was about 5,000 (currency), which I would gladly have saved from some other part of the house if necessary.
Of course, not everyone feels the same way, but I really dislike being too hot. A vacation in Crete is not for me either. :P

Last year, the bedrooms reached a maximum of 24°C (75°F), even with some facing south. This is still bearable. In the summer, we make sure to operate the shutters accordingly. However, it would be more comfortable to have at least some ventilation in the bedrooms.

kati1337 schrieb:

I always find the argument "summer only lasts three months and sometimes it rains" absurd. Summer comes every year nonetheless—I don’t want to spend a quarter of my life in unbearable discomfort just to support that argument.
We’re really looking forward to our first summer with air conditioning. In 2019, I spent several weeks with temperatures between 35-40°C (95-104°F) being heavily pregnant, and I never want to go through that again. A comfortable temperature is a part of quality of life for me. The extra cost for air conditioning was about 5,000 (currency), which I would gladly have saved by cutting back in some other part of the house if needed.
But not everyone has to see it that way—I just really dislike being too hot. Vacationing in Crete is not for me either. :P

1. Out of the three months, it’s only hot for a maximum of six weeks. The rest of the time, you can ventilate your home.
2. In our house, even without air conditioning, the temperature stays at a maximum of 26°C (79°F), even when it’s 40°C (104°F) outside.
3. Today’s youth vote Green but then install air conditioners so they don’t have to sweat.