I think we need more decentralized energy grids and people should put more solar panels on their rooftops. Solar panels don’t solve all our energy problems, but they definitely help during heat waves.
Unfortunately they’re being vilified in a lot of places. They being solar panels and the people who put them on their own properties. Matt Farrell just did a video about it: https://youtu.be/dPfpa2KqYk0
Last time there was a serious 40C+ heatwave, I used thermal foil emergency blanket for some sun-facing windows.
So I’m considering adding rolling shutters for windows that don’t already have one.
The building’s outside walls are painted rather dark, but it’s an apartment complex so I can’t just decide to repaint a lighter color.
A lot of this need to be figured out at the building stage.
Also used the blankets on the south-facing windows last summer and they did help.
If someone else wants to try it out, make sure to attach em on the outside, not the inside of your windows. Attaching them on the inside might cause the glass to shatter from the heat.
We generally have 2-3 blackouts in the winter here so I bought a generator to keep the house from freezing during the 6-24 hrs without power. When the power starts going out due to high demand in the summer I plan on running the fridge and freezer for 10min an hour and hoping that I don’t have to keep it up for more than a day.
I always have a few day’s worth of pre-cooked and vacuum bagged meals in the freezer so I guess I can always leave one of those out in the sun for lunch.