In an era of extreme summers, it’s time to look beyond air conditioning
The Labour Department recently upgraded its Heat Stress at Work Warning system, making it easier for higher-tier alerts to be sent out, so that employers and workers, especially those who have to work outdoors, can react quickly during very hot weather. Unfortunately, the most we seem to be able to do is issue warnings and recommend passive mitigation measures such as relaxing the work schedule,…
In an era of increasingly extreme summers, it is time to look beyond air conditioning as the sole solution. While employers and workers are now better equipped to handle heat stress in the workplace, the most effective way to combat the rising temperatures is through innovative design and engineering solutions. Hong Kong, despite its record-breaking hot days in 2024, still relies heavily on air conditioning due to its historical abundance of these units.
However, many European countries have not been as fortunate, with many buildings lacking air conditioning due to historical preservation and environmental concerns. The key to tackling the heat lies in finding sustainable design measures that can create comfortable environments without compromising the environment. These measures include using materials with good insulation, encouraging cross-circulation and airflow, employing heat-reflective or radiative cooling paints, and integrating greenery and water features into building and urban design.
These innovations could lower the reliance on air conditioning, reducing the negative impact on the environment.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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