Tropical nights come to Europe
www.ft.com
The biggest rise in extreme temperatures is not in the daytime
  • Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de
    9·
    13 days ago

    That’s one of the main reasons why traditional methods of dealing with the heat here in Germany (widely open the windows at night, close windows and lower blinds during daytime) don’t work any more and the up-to-now AC-reluctant Germans are increasingly beginning to embrace AC.

    The other reasons the traditional cooling methods don’t work here any more are the increased length of the heat waves (after more than three or four days the heat will start trickling through our traditionally massive outer walls) and also the higher maximum temperatures.

      • Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de
        4·
        13 days ago

        Haven’t Germans embraced air-to-air heatpumps?

        No, heatpumps up to now have been primarily used to heat buildings and thus are almost exclusively of a air-water type.
        Reason for this is also the subsidies that are apparently mainly available for this type.

        Also classical heating systems still dominate, partly because most people in Germany live in rented appartments. As the cost of heating has to be paid by the tenant, landlords have no real incentives to convert their buildings to more up-to-date systems, which only the tenant would financially benefit from.

        So what you see when walking through the streets are the air-outlet-hoses of crappy mobile monobloc cooling devices hanging out of the windows… (I own one myself).

        • ComradePenguin@lemmy.ml
          3·
          13 days ago

          Ah, that makes sense.

          Btw: RV/Camping stores often sell ACs with two hoses. This prevents underpressure pulling hot air in again

          • Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de
            3·
            13 days ago

            ACs with two hoses

            I searched for those, but haven’t seen any available anywhere here in Germany any more, seem to have vanished from the market.
            I heard that is an unintended side-effect of EU regulation regarding efficiency.
            The two-hose-variants on paper have a lower efficiency, as for the efficiency calculation the pulled in hot outside air is not considered.
            So the manufacturers just don’t bother selling them anymore here…