On 6th July I went to a talk organised by the Muswell Hill Sustainability Group on climate change and the challenge of making our homes less oven-like. Here is a link to the talk on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/live/ueBqQjlHFfI?is=tVROv_MKXfi5VA6u
Passive cooling to help us cope in heatwaves
The key message I took from the talk is the paramount importance of reducing the amount of heat that gets into our homes. This is why external shading is so critical. Shutters, awnings, external blinds all stop the sun from penetrating windows/glass doors and can reduce the temperature inside by 4-5 degrees.
Passive cooling is a cheaper and more sustainable solution than reaching for active cooling options such as air conditioning, which are expensive to run and push hot air outside making it even warmer. If you can reduce internal temperatures by a few degrees, any fans you have will work more effectively anyway.
Shade the UK provides an overview https://www.shadetheuk.com/about
Practical solutions for sash windows
At the talk, we heard from the inventor of removable external shades you can place over your sash window sand take down in the autumn. Fully modular like an IKEA product, an affordable passive cooling solution that works for many window sizes: https://www.stayshaded.co.uk/about
A slightly different approach, this small start-up offers external blinds: https://sashshadingcompany.com/
As you can see from the photo below, we've gone for a very low-tech approach and hung bedsheets out of our windows. This has made a real difference as our house faces west and the sun is brutal from about midday onwards. The stripy bit of fabric is a table runner I found that fits our side window well.
Businesses offering awnings, external blinds, shades and shutters
From a quick trawl of the internet I've seen that Robert Dyas and B&Q offer awnings and various external shade options. This includes shading for extensions, patios and balconies.
Primrose is also good for awnings and sail shades https://www.primrose-awnings.co.uk/ Friends in Barnet used Primrose for a retractable awning for their kitchen extension, which had glass bi-fold doors and was unbearably hot.
Another firm I found on the internet, Enviroblinds offers all kinds of awnings, shades, external shutters and external blinds. Based in Haywards Heath it has a showroom at the Business Design Centre in Islington (appointments only) https://enviroblinds.co.uk/
For loft windows, Velux makes external blinds and shutters to keep the heat outside in summer and inside in winter.
Bed sheets and a runner keeping a house cool in Alexandra Park
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