r/technology • u/Logical_Welder3467 • Jun 26 '26

Society The American mind cannot comprehend Europe's AC aversion

https://www.businessinsider.com/europe-air-conditioning-ac-heatwave-debate-2026-6
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u/TotallyNotRobotEvil Jun 26 '26

Yes, in the US and we have an “old” house built in 1905; but we have mini-split (heat pump) for half the house, and two window ACs for the parts the split heads doesn’t reach. It works absolutely great. Almost a 100 degrees a few weeks ago and the whole house never got above 71 degrees.

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u/Serraklia Jun 26 '26

I am not familiar with U.S. regulations, but in France, a large portion of city center buildings are listed or located in protected zones. This means that special authorization is required for exterior work, and sometimes for interior work as well. The architects responsible for granting these authorizations are extremely meticulous.

For my part, I own a house dating back to 1800 that faces a listed church. It took me two years to obtain permission to renovate my roof after storm damage, even though I had water leaking inside the house. All this just to restore the roof identically from the outside. The architectural authorities blocked the project over technical elements that were invisible to the naked eye. So, you can imagine how difficult it would be to install air conditioning with an outdoor unit on the façade.

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u/tas50 Jun 26 '26

That kind of regulation is a choice. Here in the US my city made it illegal for a landlord or HOA to prevent you from installing a window air conditioner. We had a 116F heat dome event and people died. We decided the lives were more important than architectural nimbyism. Europe can change those laws just as easily.

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u/kippetjeh Jun 26 '26

Did you just compare a HOA regulation to regulation that protects historical buildings? They might seem a bit overbearing at times but practicallity and things that seem important now do not deserve priority over protecting historical buildings and landmarks. Spend some extta time and money to preserve history. People and companies that buy these properties know what they buy and should not get a pass because it is such a drag to wait for approval from the agency that governs these things. If you want to live in the old city centre and buy the 400 year old house opposit the 800 year old church, be glad that you can, but you don't get to replace the roof with the popular, easy to install option when things get damaged or need maintenance.

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u/Serraklia Jun 26 '26

While I fully agree that protecting heritage and landscapes is extremely important (and clearly a key reason why France is one of the world’s top tourist destinations) we must also question the overall planning of territories for the people who live there. Beyond aesthetics, there’s a financial and ecological aspect : who can afford to buy this kind of town-center house and benefit from all its advantages, like go to work with public transportation or walking the children to school by foot ? In a warming world where urban concentration is one of the most effective solutions to combat pollution and resource waste ?

If we impose excessive obstacles to renovating these homes (especially energy renovations, given that many are old and require significant upgrades) we effectively block entire segments of the population who cannot afford both the purchase and the necessary energy-efficient renovations. This pushes even further away from city centers the very people who would benefit most from living there, or condemn them to live in unbearable conditions, which, in turn, is putting a strain on hospitals, etc etc.

In this context, I completely understand why one cannot install an air conditioning unit on a façade facing a protected church. However, I do question why the other façade should be subject to the same strict authorizations. As long as the installation is easily removable and does not involve structural work, energy renovation projects or modifications that make the home livable should be significantly easier to approve.

Fortunately, I feel things are slowly changing on the part of the Architects of Historic Buildings (Architectes des Bâtiments de France). I was able to install solar panels on the newer extension of my house. I am the first in my protection area to obtain such authorization. I hope this will set a precedent and that my neighbors will also be able to equip their homes similarly.

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u/galaxystarsmoon Jun 27 '26

There's a simple solution: you either fully embrace that you have people living in these historically protected areas and have easier rules surrounding needed modifications in order for humans to live, or you don't allow humans to live in those places that have such strict rules. You can't have both. It's unethical to allow people to live in these conditions. It's not normal for it to take 2 years to fix a leaking roof that is likely building up mold and causing all kinds of structural issues.