Adapting housing to heatwaves: a major challenge for the construction industry despite measures deemed insufficient.

Housing often poorly prepared for extreme heat

Long focused on reducing winter energy consumption, renovation policies have primarily targeted insulation against the cold and heating efficiency. However, the increasing frequency and intensity of heat waves are now highlighting another vulnerability in the French building stock: summer comfort.

According to several recent studies, a significant proportion of French homes are at risk of overheating during heat waves. Residents of dense urban centers, top-floor apartments, or homes poorly protected from solar radiation are among the most vulnerable.

This situation also raises public health concerns. The elderly, young children, and low-income households are often the first victims of excessive temperatures in homes.

A considerable market for building professionals

Adapting buildings to high temperatures represents a major undertaking for the entire construction and renovation sector.

Technical solutions already exist:

• installation of external sun protection;
• renovation or replacement of shutters;
• adjustable blinds and sunshades;
• greening of surrounding areas and facades;
• improvement of natural ventilation;
• efficient mechanical ventilation;
• insulation adapted for summer comfort;
• low-consumption air circulators and cooling systems;
• reversible heat pumps.

For craftsmen, building companies, design offices and manufacturers, this work could constitute a market with strong growth in the coming years, similar to what energy renovation has represented in recent years.

Government measures met with caution

Faced with this problem, the government has presented several measures aimed at accelerating the adaptation of housing to high temperatures.

The stated objective is to further integrate summer comfort into existing systems and to raise awareness among individuals about the risks associated with heat waves.

However, several professional organizations, associations and housing experts believe that the announcements remain insufficient in the face of the scale of the challenge.

The criticisms include:

• the absence of a massive program dedicated to summer comfort;
• the lack of funding specifically earmarked for adaptation to heatwaves;
• the absence of strong regulatory obligations regarding protection against overheating;
• a deployment pace deemed too slow in light of climate projections.

A new step for the renovation of buildings

For many specialists, the issue of summer comfort is destined to become as important a criterion as winter energy performance.

Future renovations will now have to meet a dual objective: limiting heating consumption in winter while preserving bearable temperatures during periods of intense heat.

This evolution could gradually change design practices, materials used and preferred technical solutions in construction and renovation projects.

An economic, social and health issue

Beyond energy considerations, adapting housing to heat waves is a major public health and territorial resilience issue.

With the aging population, the expected increase in the number of days of extreme heat and the growing concentration of inhabitants in urban areas, the ability of housing to maintain an acceptable level of comfort becomes a central issue.

For the building sector, the challenge now goes beyond simple energy renovation: it is about sustainably preparing the French building stock for the climatic conditions of the coming decades.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.