As another heatwave reaches the UK, it is worth asking an uncomfortable question: is there any positive side to extreme heat?

The answer is not that heatwaves are good. They are not. They put pressure on people’s health, homes, schools, transport and the electricity grid. The UK Health Security Agency estimated 1,504 heat-associated deaths in England during five heat episodes in summer 2025. The official advisory Climate Change Committee has also warned that 92% of existing UK homes could be at risk of overheating by 2050. So the starting point is clear: heatwaves are a serious climate and public-health risk.

But heatwaves also expose something important. They show us how poorly prepared our homes and energy systems are for the climate we are now living in. In that sense, the opportunity is not in the heat itself. The opportunity is in using heatwaves as a trigger to redesign how we cool, power and protect our buildings.

One obvious route is solar energy. Hotter weather does not automatically mean better solar performance. In fact, solar........

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