Environmental Outlook: The Growing Demand For Air Conditioning
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-08-07/environmental-outlook-growing-demand-air-conditioning
Apartment air conditioning units in Kwai Tsing, Hong Kong.
Image used under Creative Commons from Flickr user Plastic_Bat
In this month’s environmental outlook, a look at the growing reliance on air conditioning. This summer marks the 100th anniversary of the air conditioner. Since its invention, air conditioning has provided relief from the heat and allowed industry to thrive in the hottest of places. But flipping on the air conditioner to cool off may be warming up the earth. The U.S. is the biggest air conditioning consumer, but use in countries like China and India is skyrocketing. Some scientists say the gases and electricity the units run on are contributing to global warming. Diane and her guests discuss the demand for air conditioning and the search for a cleaner way to cool.
Guests
Durwood Zaelke
president for the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development.
Steve Yurek
president of the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute.
Stan Cox
senior scientist at the Land Institute in Salina, Kansas and author of "Losing Our Cool: Uncomfortable Truths About Our Air-Conditioned World."
Elisabeth Rosenthal
international environment reporter for The New York Times.
Comments
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The primary issue with energy usage in the US isn't developing new technologies for new construction but incorporating existing high technology into current construction through replacement/retrofit. 41% of the US energy demand is to heating, cooling and lighting existing residential and commercial buildings. New construction in the US is so slow right now it will take decades to have a substantive impact. Reduced AC loads can be obtained through the replacement of low performance glazing systems with high performance systems to reduce solar heat gain.
I don't think that we should be told "put your AC up to 78 degrees."
With all due respect, do any of the listeners and commentators realize that some of us cannot tolerate this heat and get literally sick with severe allergies? We were told in the past to put up AC to 70 degrees. We re NOT putting up ours any higher because all of us are from the northern climate and suffer with severe heat allergies. We never turn on the heat in the winter to more than 67 degree Fahrenheit and we don't do that very often either. So...please recognize that not everyone can tolerate the heat and for many of us, anything above 70 is extremely difficult-we get sick and taking crazy allergy medications with even crazier side effects isn't an option. What would be more useful if ACs were made more efficient. Let's face it, a lot of our grid infrastructure in the US is not up to date and hasn't been for years....our equipment and products that are sold here are VERY inefficient and outdated-so are many of the building materials. Let's address that. Thanks
Good for you! I don't use AC either and I live in the U.S. I have large trees around my house and lots of windows that open. What are your diet changes?
I am a building inspector, and find that HVAC contractors are reticent to let go of the old "rules of thumb" when it comes to sizing systems.
Your guest spoke of 60% efficiency advances, but it is a moot point if the contractors continue to size the units based on the old methods of building.
Our homes are much tighter and better insulated that even in the 90s, so need much less air conditioning. I find myself having to "argue" this point with contractors when it comes to sizing.
Unfortunately, as the climate warms AC is a necessity for most people, as most modern buildings are not designed to function without it. Lacking shade or adequate ventilation they quickly become ovens once the AC goes.
Well, the summer weather here is very hard to tolerate physically. I've lived in the States for over 20 years-my family has not acclimated to the heat-it has only gotten worse. Those of us from Northern climates don't acclimate well to the heat or the humidity.
Frankly, the only way I'm able to get my work done if it is 60-70 in the room. AC is the only relief from the heat, unfortunately, because there are no other options. Work in a windowless office in a hot room (because 72 and above in a room IS very warm and very difficult). See how much work you can get done. I've been suffering from severe allergies and I've heard from my other colleagues that they don't like the heat either-very uncomfortable-and keep their AC on 65-70. Please realize that not everyone can acclimate. As far as "prison." I'm sure that those in very high positions have lovely offices and these don't feel at all like prisons. :)
Thank you! Just please realize that not everyone agrees with your point of view. :)
Benja: You are EXACTLY right on target here with cooling down the person rather than the building. I was driving through Yugoslavia and Greece in the summer of 1987 when the temps hit 117 F (47 C). We kept our hair wet by pouring water over it and that kept us from getting heat stroke in the car (cars obviously get hotter than the outside temp.) Similarly, frequent cool showers (when possible, the water gets pretty hot on its own in a hot climate) in South East Asia helped me to stay out of the heatstroke zone. Another issue in the U.S. I've noticed is that people wear completely idiotic clothing in hot weather. Stay away from cotton knit fabric. Get shirts that are similar to Indonesian men's shirts or Hawaiian shirts (button up cotton). Or, do what I do when working outdoors on an organic farm this summer in the 104 degree heat: soak all your clothing in water. The cool cloth helps keep you cool. Stan Cox's book mentions getting curtains wet and hanging them in the open windows to cool a room in India.
Check into Coolorado's water-to-air methods of air conditioning. They are claiming 1/10th of the power used as compared to traditional air conditioning. I just visited their website this weekend, and it looks like a good option.
We are not the only ones contributing to the problem-so are India and China so we shouldn't be the only ones told to be responsible for everything-but, perhaps, that's not very politically correct to say. I wonder what are the options out there, though, that are viable and affordable to an average consumer.
Exactly. You should try some of these older buildings. Horrible.
are you kidding....60 degrees-love that....apt buildings and condos, especially old ones (50+ years), don't have the basements. Yours (with 60 degrees yr around), sound lovely!!! :=)
wanting less than 78 degrees is not selfish.
We rarely turn on the heat in the winter-do me a favor, please don't consider everyone who doesn't agree with your comfort level selfish. 78 is not cool enough. Not for those of us who are sick in the summer from the heat an humidity. We weren't born in a warm/hot climate. If you were-and you're ok with this, good for you.
polar bear- the U.S. has been using much more energy over a longer period of time than either China or India. It would be good for the U.S. to take a leadership role instead of telling developping countries "do as I say not as I do."
Regarding your heat allergies- have you considered returning to a cooler/more temperate climate? I know it may not always be possible, but at some point we humans should realize we can't artificially recreate our 'ideal' climate in any season or location without incurring serious costs- immediate or future. Turning the ac temp up in homes and businesses would probably not hurt most people and would help to preserve the remaining naturally cool places we have on earth. Continued over reliance on ac is a vicious cycle.
Look at old houses, built before cheap energy. They fit with their local needs. Deciduous trees & sunrooms on the south side.
The treehugger website had an article on 10 ways to reduce the need for AC.
Orienting homes w/ southern windows for sun & western windows for wind isn't "the latest thing' - what about the cliff dwellers in SW USA?
A google search of 'whole house evaporative cooler' on the shopping menu turns up some. Aren't they still widely used in the SW US?
M- i completely agree- we used to live in a home that was built in 1916. The main floor had walls almost 12 inches thick (adobe brick and brick). Excellent thermal mass. It also had roof overhangs to shade the windows (including large southern facing) in summer and shade trees on the south and west. If we could combine those old 'passive' techniques with modern insulation imagine the energy and long-term cost savings.
Beat the Heat: 10 design tips to To Help You Live Without (Or Use Less) Air Conditioning
on the treehugger website
tip 11 is to capture the cool morning air inside, then close up the house for the day
Polarbear: 'Well, the summer weather here is very hard to tolerate physically'.
'Woohoo!' - Seal
The country is dying from drought, climate disasters are sweeping the globe, and we can't change the damn thermostat? Come on people, wake up. Our food and water is at stake.
In the apartment building I live in, one of the apartments is being refurbished. It is currently unoccupied. The workman left the airconditioning on in it as well as some of the lights. I have reported this three times but the main office seems to be able to do nothing about it, (I'm not sure why). I don't know how many times this scenario is replayed, but it contributes. It also contributes to wear and tear on the system which would probably cause the air conditioner to not operate as efficiently. When I go out, any airconditioning (or heat in the winter) gets turned off.
I would like to there to be a follow-up program about heating. I am comfortable with the thermostat set at 55 in the winter, but I doubt that the a/c haters would agree. When I travel to cold climates in the winter I cannot stand to go indoors due to the nausea-inducing heating. Seriously, have y'all ever heard of a sweater? Oh, and computer equipment (often found in the ''prisons'' of office buildings) generate a lot of heat and need air-conditioning to prevent failure.
Where I work I have a space heater on whenever I am there. I also have to wear coats whenever I'm somewhere that I can't have my heater. This is year round, whether it is 20 degrees or 100 degrees out! I find it ridiculous that they keep these buildings so cold. Such a big waste of energy. I feel bad about running my heater, but I am just not comfortable without it!
Why is this so tough? 20 feet down the temperature is fairly constant. Here in Texas, where the summer days frequently hit triple digits, that temperature is 70 degrees +or- 5 year around, pretty comfortable I'd say. So the simple solution is to build a monolithic dome and pile dirt on it so that ground level is 20 feet below the surface then pass your air through pipes at that level. Free cool air and A/C unnecessary.
In downtown Louisville, KY the Galt House has GeoThermal HVAC! The Galt House was built in the late 60's or early 70's , has office space, restaurant and a hotel. They save 53% on energy with their new HVAC- What if large downtown building did something similar?
The subject of overrefrigerating our indoor environment has been broached. Can we get past just asking the question in an introductory way? Can we move on to a more meaningful conversation?
We live in condos & apts. Diane herself does. The issue of hvac units in our bldgs is a topic that deserves its own show, esp in DC. Individually, there are many residents who heat/cool their apartments (often less than 600 & 700 sf) though they’re not home. And they do this for hours, even days at a time. Unless there are people or animals in the unit, should not be allowed. Period. A working unit is capable of heating or cooling in a reasonable amount of time.
White roofs—I’ve heard conflicting reports abt the efficacy of these in cities, such as:
One geoengineering proposal for reducing the impact of urban heat islands is to paint roofs worldwide a reflective white. Jacobson's … modeling concluded that white roofs did indeed cool urban surfaces. However, they caused a net global warming... because they reduced cloudiness slightly by increasing the stability of the air, thereby reducing the vertical transport of moisture and energy to clouds. In Jacobson's modeling, the reduction in cloudiness allowed more sunlight to reach the surface.
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2011/october/urban-heat-islands-101911.html
There ‘s discussion to be had on cities & urban heat island effect. There's a strong argument not overbuild and put up tall buildings. Have to remember scale since heat is released at night, but cannot release effectively if buildings are too close together. Study linking city heat & mortality during ht waves:
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/heat-island-sprawl.html
We need more humility facing how much energy we use. Ironic that the more we use, the less we can stand the Great Outdoors. It's sad. (Not to mention the more we are destroying the Great Out of Doors.)
In the end, it's about conservation & using less.
The Montreal Protocol 2012 meets 12-16 November in Geneva Switzerland.
This is the year HFCs can be picked up by this body and scheduled for discontinued use.
The Obama team could do much more to make this a reality: As could the Industry.
We are all watching.
OH....I love the Diane Rehm show. This program was another ground breaker.
Change is possible.