Assessing Indoor Heat Vulnerability and Cooling Strategies in Three Mobile Home Communities in Boulder, Colorado, USA

Authors

• Mehdi P. Heris, City University of New York
• Skye Niles, Chapman UniversityFollow
• Alana Wilson, University of Colorado Boulder
• Megan McCurdy, University of Colorado Boulder
• Amy Lacourse, University of Colorado Boulder
• Nick Lankau, University of Colorado Boulder

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-8-2026

Abstract

Extreme heat is an increasing public health and environmental threat shaped by both physical and social factors. This study assesses the vulnerability of mobile homes and their residents at three mobile home parks in Boulder, Colorado. We examined indoor temperature, housing conditions, and social and personal risk factors of the households. We monitored indoor and outdoor temperatures using 27 indoor and 5 outdoor temperature data loggers, comparing mobile homes with air conditioning, swamp coolers, and passive cooling designs. This work provides a detailed analysis of indoor temperature patterns and demonstrates how evaluating trends yields insights into the performance and effectiveness of different cooling systems. Homes with swamp coolers and air conditioning had average indoor temperatures of 72.7 °F and 74.2 °F, respectively, compared to 76.4 °F in homes without cooling. A passively cooled home averaged 74.8 °F and showed the longest thermal lag between outdoor and indoor peak temperatures (about 5 h), indicating improved efficiency and heat resistance. This home was 2.1 °F cooler than a neighboring uncooled unit, supported by a 17% reduction in solar radiation due to passive cooling design. Differences in cooling type influenced the duration and intensity of indoor heat exposure. To assess overall risk for residents, we combined temperature data with resident characteristics, including age, income, living alone, medical concerns, and English language fluency. Results indicate elevated risk among mobile home residents, particularly due to high night-time temperatures and limited access to effective cooling. Residents without cooling experienced consistently higher indoor temperatures, increasing cumulative heat exposure. Our findings highlight the importance of energy-efficient cooling solutions, passive design strategies, and urban forestry to reduce heat exposure in mobile home communities. Supporting design and planning interventions to improve resilience in mobile homes is essential to addressing public health concerns, particularly in regions and communities facing growing, compounding heat risks.

Comments

This article was originally published in Environmental Research Communications, volume 8, in 2026. https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ae7189

Recommended Citation

Mehdi Heris et al 2026 Assessing indoor heat vulnerability and cooling strategies in three mobile home communities in Boulder, Colorado, USA Environ. Res. Commun. 8 065024 https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ae7189

Copyright

The authors

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.