Summers in Madrid are brutal; relentlessly hot, dry, and polluted! And electricity is expensive. It is imperative to keep that in mind when planning a renovation. When it is over 40º C (105º F) outside, you need a way to keep cool without spending too much money.

The apartment already had one mini-split air conditioner installed in the salon. It was in good working condition, so we decided to keep it. We wired for air conditioners in all the other rooms in the house but never installed them.  Even though mini-split A/Cs (ductless A/C) can be more cost-effective than central A/C they are still expensive to run, and I didn’t like the idea of having another ugly condenser on the terrace. Instead, we installed ceiling fans in every room other than the kitchen and bathrooms.

Ceiling fans, especially in a climate like Madrid, are one of the best home improvement investments you can make. The cost of operating a ceiling fan is similar to a light fixture. The air circulation provided by a ceiling fan disperses the heat generated by your body making you feel cooler. They can make a room seem as much as 5º C (8º F) cooler. Since they don’t actually cool the room, they just make you feel cooler, you also don’t need to operate them when the room is empty.

Ceiling fans are also great in winter. Most modern fans have a reverse switch for winter use. The fan will take the air from the upper part of the room and push it down to the lower part of the room. Since heat rises this will help maintain an even temperature in the room, and the room will stay warmer longer.

We almost never felt the need to use the A/C. We ran it at most, one or two days each summer and only briefly. Not only are ceiling fans a huge cost saving, they are also much more environmentally friendly…. definitely a worthwhile investment.