How not to build your house for hot summers

Air conditioning is not very common in Swiss buildings or houses, but soon could be if hot summers like this one become the norm.

Government studies have forecast that the average temperature in Switzerland could increase by up to 4.8°C by 2100.

Improving the energy efficiency of buildings is part of the administration’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

A study by the University of Lucerne shows that current building codes fail to take into account prolonged heatwaves like this year’s.

The authors of the study recommend that in the future houses must be built to deal with not only low winter temperatures but also hot summers, without resorting to traditional air conditioning.

The study looked at both old and new buildings. Older houses were usually found to be poorly insulated while newer ones – including low-energy buildings with the “Minergie” label – heated up too quickly, often due to the use of large glass fronts.