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Why do Europeans seldom install air conditioners, even when it's very hot?

Aug 11,2025 | Elfbar

This year, with the heatwave hitting again, by August, several waves of heat have claimed dozens of lives in Europe.

In China, it's hard to find a residential building without air conditioners mounted all over the exterior walls. According to the International Energy Agency, over 90 percent of US homes had air conditioning by 2022, while in Europe, that number hovers between 20 and 30 percent.

The underlying reason is not complicated.

The higher the latitude, the lower the temperature.

Many of Europe's major cities are located at high latitudes. Paris sits at 48 degrees, 48 minutes north latitude, Brussels at 50 degrees, 48 minutes north latitude, and Berlin at 52 degrees, 30 minutes north latitude — the same latitude as Mohe, the northernmost town in China. Go not much farther north and you're in Siberia.

At these latitudes, summer isn't traditionally hot enough to make air conditioning essential. Berlin's average daily temperature in August barely climbs above 20 C. In that context, an air conditioner doesn't feel necessary most of the year.

Even Southern Europe isn't all that south. Rome, for instance, is at 41 degrees, 54 minutes north latitude — still farther north than Beijing. For centuries, most of Europe simply didn't need artificial cooling. The architecture, habits, and expectations were shaped by a different climate.

But global warming is rapidly changing that equation. Over the past decade, summer heat waves have become more frequent and more intense. Countries like France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands — once considered comfortably temperate — have seen record-breaking temperatures. Even in Brussels, where one might expect a mild July, the mercury has occasionally soared to nearly 40 C, making the inside of a stone house feel more like a kiln.

The age of the house must definitely not exceed that of my grandfather!

When I first arrived in Brussels trying to rent an apartment, I had an amusing exchange with a local real estate agent while touring a property built in the 1960s:

Me: "Don't you think this place is a bit too old? It's more than 20 years older than I am!"

Agent: "In Belgium, your definition of an 'old building' may need some adjustment … The next place I'm going to show you is over 200 years old, built during the Napoleonic Wars. You'll be living inside history!"

Me: "Thanks, but no thanks. I'd prefer something from my own or my daddy's generation — grandpa's at most."

One key reason is the age of the buildings themselves. Many homes were built long before air conditioning — or even modern electricity system — existed, and they, standing for two or more centuries, were designed with defense in mind.

These buildings typically have thick walls, high ceilings, and small windows. The goal wasn't comfort, but security — making them hard to invade and easy to defend.

A high ceiling may look grand for this purpose, but in winter it's a nightmare. Middle school physics tells us that warm air rises, so even when you crank up the heat, the warmth floats uselessly above your head. Most of these homes receive poor energy-efficiency ratings for good reason.

Adding modern systems to these structures is a logistical headache. There were no electrical grids or plumbing systems when they were built, so there's no room to run modern wiring, pipes, or HVAC ducts. HVAC stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Drilling through walls built from fortressgrade stone isn't easy. These are materials designed to withstand cannonballs, not accommodate coolant lines or mounting brackets for outdoor compressor units

Even if the building starts to crumble, you can't just tear it down and rebuild. Many old structures are legally protected, classified as historical or cultural heritage. Insuch cases, the law often forbids complete demolition and requires that the original facade be preserved, even if everything else needs to go.

So, in a uniquely European work-around, developers often

strip the interior bare, gutting everything down to the last beam, while leaving one lonely wall standing. That way, the project is still technically a "renovation", not a rebuild, and the law is satisfied.

Even if the building starts to crumble, you can't just tear it down and rebuild. Many old structures are legally protected, classified as historical or cultural heritage. Insuch cases, the law often forbids complete demolition and requires that the original facade be preserved, even if everything else needs to go.

The environmental protection efforts of Europeans are truly cost-effective.

Energy costs are another major barrier. In Belgium, for example, the average electricity price for residential consumers is around 0.40 euros ($0.47) per kilowatthour. That's nearly seven times the average price in China. And European homes already consume a lot of electricity: cooking is often done with electric ovens and induction stoves, and heating in winter may involve electric radiators. Add in a few weeks of air conditioning, and monthly power bills can become hard to manage.

That's why fireplaces remain a practical solution for many. In fact, European supermarkets sell firewood as a household staple — something rarely seen in modern Chinese or East Asian cities. When heating a home means lighting a fire, and cooling it means opening the window, it's easy to see why the economics of air conditioning don't make much sense for many households.

Why do Europeans seldom install air conditioners, even when it's very hot?

The higher the latitude, the lower the temperature.

The age of the house must definitely not exceed that of my grandfather!

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