Heating better in winter so we don’t overheat in summer (Heatwaves)

In this article, we explore the often-overlooked link between the way we heat buildings in winter and the climate challenges we face today. Because while a radiator obviously cannot prevent a heatwave, when it is efficient and used intelligently, it can help reduce our energy consumption and environmental impact.

Heatwaves are becoming more frequent, temperature records are being broken one after another, and episodes of extreme heat are gradually becoming a new reality. Faced with this evolution, one question becomes essential: how can we act, at our own scale, to limit our impact on the climate? While transport and industry are often at the heart of the discussion, buildings also represent a major challenge. Their energy consumption, particularly that linked to heating, plays an important role in greenhouse gas emissions.

At first glance, the link between a radiator used in winter and the intense heat of summer may seem surprising. Yet heating better does not mean heating more, but heating more intelligently. By choosing efficient equipment, capable of diffusing heat in a controlled way and limiting unnecessary consumption, it is possible to reduce one’s energy footprint. At the scale of a single home, the gesture may seem modest. But at the scale of millions of buildings, these choices help build housing that is more energy-efficient, more sustainable and better adapted to the climate challenges of today and tomorrow.

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Buildings: a major challenge in the energy transition

When we talk about fighting climate change, we often think of electric cars or renewable energy. Yet buildings account for a significant share of energy consumption.

In winter, heating is the largest energy expense in a home. When a building is poorly insulated or equipped with an inefficient system, more heat must be produced to maintain a comfortable temperature.

This additional consumption leads to greater use of energy resources. Depending on the energy sources used, it can also generate more CO₂ emissions.

The objective is therefore not simply to heat, but to consume only what is necessary.

Heating better does not mean heating more

For a long time, comfort was associated with a simple idea: the warmer it was indoors, the better.

Today, this vision is evolving.

A comfortable home is above all a home where the temperature is stable, even and adapted to the needs of its occupants.

This involves in particular:

• good insulation;

• precise temperature control;

• efficient equipment;

• controlled consumption.

The real challenge is to produce the necessary heat, in the right place, at the right time, without waste.

More efficient equipment for better-controlled consumption

Heating technologies have evolved considerably in recent years.

Today, modern equipment makes it possible to better adapt heat production to the real uses of a home.

For example, it is now possible to:

• set the temperature room by room;

• schedule heating periods;

• avoid heating unoccupied spaces;

• maintain constant comfort without overconsumption.

This more precise management helps limit energy expenditure while improving everyday comfort.

Heating then becomes a tool for energy management, rather than simply a device that diffuses heat.

Why does this also matter for the climate?

Global warming is mainly the result of the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, linked to human activity.

The higher energy consumption is, the greater the need for energy production becomes. Even though French electricity is largely decarbonised thanks to nuclear power, reducing unnecessary consumption remains essential. It helps limit the overall strain on the energy system, preserve resources and support the transition towards a more energy-efficient model.

In other words, every kilowatt-hour saved represents energy that did not need to be produced.

At the scale of a single home, the impact may seem limited.

At the scale of millions of buildings, it becomes considerable.

Winter comfort also prepares tomorrow’s comfort, helping us face heatwaves

Episodes of extreme heat remind us today that buildings must be designed to perform all year round.

For a long time, the main objective was to protect inhabitants from the cold.

From now on, we must also preserve comfort during periods of intense heat.

This evolution is encouraging architects, engineering firms and manufacturers to adopt a more global vision.

A high-performance building is no longer only one that heats efficiently in winter.

It is one that limits its energy needs, offers lasting comfort and adapts to the different seasons.

Thinking about heating as part of a global approach

Heating can no longer be considered as an independent piece of equipment.

It is now part of a wider system that includes:

• Insulation ;

• Ventilation ;

• The quality of materials ;

• termal regulation ;

• everyday uses.

It is this global approach that makes it possible to truly improve a building’s energy performance.

An excellent radiator will never compensate for poor insulation.

Conversely, a well-designed building allows an efficient heating system to express its full potential.

The role of materials and design

Expectations no longer concern energy performance alone.

Today, equipment must also integrate naturally into living spaces.

Design, materials and architectural integration are becoming criteria that are just as important as technical performance.

Heating is therefore evolving towards a more complete approach, where aesthetics and efficiency no longer oppose each other but complement one another.

Every improvement counts

Faced with climate challenges, there is no single solution.

Reducing emissions depends on a multitude of complementary actions.

Among them:

• improving building insulation;

• choosing more efficient equipment;

• better regulating consumption;

• limiting energy waste;

• designing more energy-efficient buildings.

Taken separately, each of these levers may seem modest.

Together, they contribute to a lasting transformation of the building stock.

Fogo’s role in this evolution

At Fogo, we are convinced that the heating of tomorrow is not simply about producing heat.

It must contribute to a more responsible use of energy, offer lasting comfort and fully integrate into contemporary architectural projects.

Our radiators are designed to combine performance, precise temperature management, design and quality materials, in order to support buildings as they move towards greater energy efficiency.

Because heating better does not mean heating more.

It means using energy intelligently today, to build more efficient buildings and contribute, at our own scale, to the climate challenges of tomorrow.

The heatwaves we are experiencing today remind us of the importance of acting on every lever available. Heating is one of them. Not because it can, on its own, prevent extreme heat, but because efficient, well-used heating helps reduce our environmental impact.

And it is often the sum of thousands of small decisions, made in each building, that makes the greatest changes possible.