Heating or air conditioning: which is more essential? (Heatwave)

In this article, we look at a question that is being asked more and more frequently as heatwaves become increasingly common: is air conditioning becoming just as essential as heating? Behind this question lies a broader reflection on the way we design buildings, thermal comfort, and the solutions that support us throughout the year.

For several years now, periods of extreme heat have been becoming more frequent. Temperature records are regularly broken, tropical nights are increasingly common, and heatwaves now affect a large part of the country. What was once perceived as an exceptional phenomenon is gradually becoming a reality that buildings must adapt to.

Faced with this evolution, a natural question arises: is heating still the most essential system in a home, or is air conditioning beginning to take its place? While this question may appear to pit two different systems against one another, it actually reveals a much deeper transformation. Today, the challenge is no longer simply to protect ourselves from the cold or the heat, but to design buildings capable of providing lasting comfort throughout the year, while limiting their energy consumption.

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Thermal comfort is no longer just about winter

For a long time, buildings were primarily designed to meet one essential need: protection from the cold. In many regions, winter represented the most challenging season, and heating was considered essential to occupants' comfort.

Today, this perspective is changing. Increasingly frequent heatwaves remind us that thermal comfort is no longer limited to the winter months. Buildings must now be capable of providing comfortable living spaces both when temperatures drop below zero and when they exceed 35 or 40°C.

This evolution is gradually changing the expectations of homeowners, architects and building professionals. Comfort is becoming a holistic concept, taking every season into account rather than focusing solely on the heating period.

Air conditioning meets a growing need… but is it the only solution to heatwaves?

When faced with extreme heat, the first solution that often comes to mind is installing air conditioning. It is true that these systems provide immediate comfort and make it possible to maintain a pleasant indoor temperature during the hottest periods.

However, reducing summer comfort to air conditioning alone would be an incomplete approach.

Today, the highest-performing projects aim above all to reduce cooling needs before even resorting to mechanical cooling systems.

This can be achieved through:

• high-performance insulation;

• good building orientation;

• appropriate solar shading;

• effective ventilation;

• materials capable of limiting overheating.

In other words, air conditioning is increasingly being used as a complementary solution rather than the only answer.

This approach helps reduce energy consumption while improving occupants' comfort.

And what about heating?

Faced with the challenges created by extreme heat, some might assume that heating is gradually becoming less important. In reality, the opposite is true.

Heating remains an essential system, but its role is evolving.

Today, it is no longer simply about generating heat. Expectations now focus on the ability of heating systems to provide precise comfort, reduce unnecessary consumption and form part of a broader approach to energy performance.

New-generation radiators, for example, can:

• adjust the temperature according to each room;

• schedule heating periods;

• avoid unnecessary energy consumption;

• better adapt to occupants' lifestyles and routines.

Heating is therefore becoming a genuine tool for smart energy management.

Two systems… one shared objective

Rather than opposing heating and air conditioning, it makes more sense to consider their shared objective.

Ultimately, both are designed to address the same challenge: maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature, regardless of outdoor conditions.

The main difference lies in the climatic conditions they are designed to respond to.

Heating protects occupants from the cold.

Air conditioning provides additional comfort during periods of extreme heat.

But both systems only reach their full potential when they are part of a broader approach to building design.

A high-performance building is, above all, a building that naturally reduces its energy needs, both for heating and cooling.

Towards buildings designed for all four seasons

Climate change is gradually transforming the way we design buildings. For a long time, the main objective was to reduce heat loss in order to improve comfort during winter. Today, this approach is no longer sufficient.

Contemporary projects must now respond to a dual challenge: retaining heat when it is cold and preventing overheating when it is hot.

This new way of designing spaces is leading architects and engineering firms to integrate more criteria from the earliest stages of a project.

Some of the key elements include:

• high-performance insulation;

• good thermal inertia of materials;

• appropriate ventilation;

• intelligent management of solar gains;

• efficient and well-regulated heating systems.

The objective is no longer simply to improve winter performance, but to create buildings capable of providing lasting comfort throughout the year.

The building of tomorrow will consume less… all year round

One of the major changes in the building sector is that energy performance is no longer measured solely during the heating season.

Today, a high-performance building is one that knows how to reduce its energy needs, whatever the season.

In winter, this means producing only the amount of heat that is actually required, without wasting energy.

In summer, it means limiting cooling requirements as much as possible through intelligent design.

This more holistic approach offers several benefits:

• reducing energy consumption;

• improving occupants' thermal comfort;

• limiting energy-related costs;

• reducing the environmental impact of buildings.

In other words, the best energy is often the energy we do not need to consume.

Thermal comfort is becoming a holistic consideration

Today, the comfort of a building no longer depends on a single system.

It results from a balance between several elements working together.

Heating, air conditioning when necessary, insulation, materials, ventilation and control systems all contribute to occupants' quality of life.

This holistic approach makes it possible to respond more effectively to new climate challenges without opposing different solutions.

The real question is therefore no longer which system is the most essential.

Instead, it is about asking how we can design buildings that remain comfortable while using the minimum amount of energy, regardless of outdoor conditions.

This consideration is now at the heart of many architectural projects.

What role do new-generation radiators play?

Within this evolution, heating continues to play an essential role.

Radiators are no longer assessed solely on their ability to produce heat. They must also meet new expectations in terms of performance, control, design and energy efficiency.

The latest systems make it possible to adjust temperatures precisely according to occupants' actual needs.

This more refined level of control offers several benefits:

• avoiding unnecessary overheating;

• distributing heat more effectively throughout the home;

• improving everyday comfort;

• gaining greater control over energy consumption.

Heating is therefore becoming a genuine energy optimisation tool, capable of meeting the new requirements of contemporary buildings.

Conclusion

So, heating or air conditioning: which is more essential?

In reality, this question is not about two competing systems. It reflects a much deeper transformation in the way we inhabit and design spaces.

Faced with today's climate challenges, it is no longer simply about protecting ourselves from the cold or coping with extreme heat. The objective is now to design buildings capable of providing thermal comfort throughout the year while limiting their energy consumption.

Heating therefore continues to play an essential role. But it is evolving, just as users' expectations are evolving. Smarter, more precise and better integrated into architectural projects, it contributes to creating buildings that are both more efficient and more sustainable.

At Fogo, we believe that the heating of tomorrow is no longer simply about providing warmth. It must be part of a holistic vision of comfort, where design, energy performance, innovation and architectural integration move forward together.

Because ultimately, the real question may not be whether we should choose between heating and air conditioning. It is about imagining spaces that remain pleasant to live in, in winter as well as in summer, while meeting today's energy and environmental challenges.