Efficiency and comfort in the extremes

Heating and cooling a home in the mountains presents a unique set of challenges.

Longtime mountain residents remember a time, not all that long ago, when owning an air conditioning was not common practice. Summer might bring a few scattered hot nights, but it was nothing a fan and open windows couldn’t solve.

Heating was always a necessity (although winters bring more extreme cold* and are even more unpredictable than before), but keeping the house cool was not a concern.

Extreme heat, defined as prolonged periods of abnormally hot weather, is becoming more common, longer-lasting, and more severe as global temperatures rise. This poses significant health risks, including heatstroke, dehydration, and exacerbation of existing conditions. Cooling your mountain home is no longer optional.

*While counterintuitive, extreme cold spells can also be linked to climate change. Scientists believe that the warming Arctic can weaken the jet stream, allowing frigid polar air to travel further south. This disruption of the polar vortex can cause unseasonable and extreme cold events in areas not accustomed to such conditions.