The UK must adopt a "fabric first" approach to retrofitting. Most social housing stocks are drafty and overheat in summer. To fight this, local councils should prioritize external wall insulation (EWI) and high-performance glazing. These measures reduce heat gain during heatwaves and heat loss in winter.
Passive cooling is the real answer. Installing solar shading, like brise-soleils or simple external shutters, prevents the sun from baking interiors. Improving cross-ventilation through strategic window placement or mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) systems allows stale air to escape without wasting energy.
Greenery helps too. Planting deciduous trees or installing green roofs reduces the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. This lowers the ambient temperature around the building. Instead of power-hungry AC units, we need breathable walls and light-colored reflective coatings on roofs. These concrete changes stop the cycle of energy poverty. Residents get stable temperatures without pushing the grid to a breaking point or heating the atmosphere further. It is about changing the building's physics, not adding a machine to fight the heat.
