Cutting-Edge Technology Could Massively Reduce the Amount of Energy Used for Air Conditioning
https://www.wired.com/story/cutting-edge-technology-could-massively-reduce-the-amount-of-energy-used-for-air-conditioning/
Cutting-Edge Technology Could Massively Reduce the Amount of Energy Used for Air Conditioning
https://www.wired.com/story/cutting-edge-technology-could-massively-reduce-the-amount-of-energy-used-for-air-conditioning/
2 Comments
By Chris Baraniuk
Whenever anyone, anywhere, reaches for the button that activates air conditioning, or lowers the desired temperature in their room a degree or two, energy use rises. A lot. In humid conditions, air conditioners have to work especially hard—more than half of the energy they consume [can go toward dehumidifying the air](https://www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(22)00094-0) rather than cooling it.
Roughly 10 percent of the world’s energy is used for cooling, with much of the necessary electricity generated by fossil fuels. Companies need to make AC much more efficient—as soon as possible.
Read the full story: [https://www.wired.com/story/cutting-edge-technology-could-massively-reduce-the-amount-of-energy-used-for-air-conditioning/](https://www.wired.com/story/cutting-edge-technology-could-massively-reduce-the-amount-of-energy-used-for-air-conditioning/)
We already have the technology to reduce the energy used in air conditioning. We choose not to implement it. Better insulation. Limiting floor to ceiling windows in office buildings. Shade awnings. Paints and road surfaces that absorb less heat.
I’m all for technological innovation, but we’re pretty fucking advanced. Looking at technology to save us is a false hope. We have a people problem, not a technology one.