SUMMER BREEZE FLOWS THROUGH OFFGRID COOLING VENTSOffgrid cooling vents were made by turning concrete block on their sides on the north and south side of the house. There is one block low on the Southwest corner of the dry stack concrete block turned on its side. We stuccoed wire mesh over it. Our research said to put it on the northwest wall, but those were all for off grid cold climates. The majority of our wind comes from the southwest. We have one on the northwest but we sealed it up. We were not able to be here to study the wind patterns. We put one on each corner just in case.
It is June and right now we have about a 5 to 8 degree increase in the house during the day. It reaches about 92 degrees ambient temperature. Our house starts out in the morning approximately 72-74 degrees. At 5:00 pm is is about 81 degrees in the house. We have no interior or exterior insulation in the walls. The positioning of the house helps keep the temperature down. Our house faces 13 degrees southeast of magnetic south. At high noon in the summer months, the sun is on the southwest corner of the house and no sun is shining in any window.
Go to Offgrid storage shed from Offgrid Cooling Vents
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Living offgrid, it is important to cover with wire mesh to keep out the insects and the birds. The wire mesh is put on the outside of the wall so that there is no perch for birds. The wire mesh on the southwest side of the house keeps out the
scorpions. They will come in anywhere there is light in the evening.
There are two blocks high on the northeast corner covered with wire mesh. These are opened at night to push the hot air out of the house. None of our walls go to the ceiling with the exception of the two bathrooms. This is for air flow for heating and cooling.
As part of our off grid living, we also open up the doors and windows at night to lower the temperature. We close up all doors, windows and the offgrid cooling vents early morning before the temperature begins to rise.
