Dutch technicians expect to install record 300,000 air conditioning units this year

With increasingly hot weather, air conditioners have firmly established themselves on the Dutch market. Dutch technicians expect to install over 300,000 units this year, breaking the 2021 record of 297,000 new air conditioners installed, reported Techniek Nederland, the business association for the technology sector.

That it is getting hotter and hotter is no secret. The Netherlands broke a heat record for the hottest July 1 ever recorded earlier today. According to Maurice Roovers of Techniek Nederland, more people working from home and rising gas prices also play a role in the increasing demand. The approaching end of the netting scheme, in which solar panel owners could push unused electricity back onto the grid and use that same amount of electricity later, also plays a role.

“More and more households are opting for air conditioning as an energy-efficient way to both cool and heat. The end of the netting scheme makes it attractive to use more self-generated solar energy directly in the home. An air conditioner that runs on sunny days fits in seamlessly with this. In this way, air conditioners not only provide comfort, but also contribute to smart energy management,” Roovers said.

But there are also other ways to keep a home cool, for those not ready to commit to an air conditioner. Sun blinds, insulation, and ventilation are good options for passive cooling or limiting the need for it. “Keep windows, doors, and curtains closed during the day to keep the heat out, but continue to ventilate for healthy indoor air. Open the windows in the evening and the night to air the house,” Roovers advised.

A group of experts recently told broadcaster NOS that even newly constructed Dutch houses are not built to stand up against the increasingly hot summers. Dutch regulations still focus mostly on retaining heat in the winter with large windows and proper insulation, and not on the increasing need to cool down on hot days. Tenants, who are typically dependent on their landlord or housing association for upgrades like sun blinds, insulation, and ventilation, in particular, struggle with homes that can’t cool down.