Air Conditioning Affect Energy Consumption

Air conditioning is a marvel of modern engineering, enabling people in hot climates to concentrate on their work and get a good night’s sleep. It also keeps illness-spreading germs in check, working the same way a refrigerator limits microbial growth. But it also requires a lot of electricity, driving energy consumption up and putting the environment at risk. The problem is that the technology has caught on so quickly and spread so widely that there’s no end in sight to demand, even as efficiency improvements lag behind.

Air conditioners are a major component of the global energy infrastructure, providing heat and comfort to homes, businesses, schools, hotels and hospitals. But the demand for air conditioning is outpacing efficiency improvements, resulting in energy use that could increase tenfold by 2050, according to a study by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

The demand for cooling is driven by population growth, rising incomes, falling equipment prices and urbanization. It’s a boom for companies that make AC systems, including Carrier (United Technologies Corp), Ingersoll-Rand Plc and Johnson Controls International Plc. It’s a boon for power companies that sell the electricity that fuels air conditioners, too, including BP Plc and utilities such as Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

But it’s also a bad thing for the environment, driving more demand for coal-burning power plants and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. And since the vast majority of the world’s electricity is produced by burning fossil fuels, the result could be a vicious cycle in which more heat leads to more air conditioning Longmont CO and more need for power, which in turn produces more greenhouse gases.

How Does Air Conditioning Affect Energy Consumption?

Several things affect how much energy an air conditioner consumes, from the size of the system to the temperature settings. But the biggest factor is the weather and climate. Hotter temperatures require more powerful systems to keep the house cool, which translates into high power usage.

In addition to cooling the home, air conditioning also lowers indoor humidity, which minimizes the growth of mold and mildew. And by circulating and filtering the air, it also helps to reduce allergies and asthma symptoms for those who suffer from these conditions.

It’s not impossible to envision a future in which renewable energy sources satisfy a larger share of the air-conditioning demand. But it would take a huge boost in solar, wind and biomass production that could not be realized until at least 2030. And even then, renewables would provide only three-fourths of the global demand for cooling. This is why the movement toward low-energy buildings like Germany’s “passivhaus” designs deserves support. Unless we start making a greater effort to conserve the energy we use, the world’s long reign of air-conditioning supremacy will continue to put the environment in peril. And that’s a prospect that no one wants to see.

In addition to cooling, air conditioning systems also help regulate humidity levels indoors. When warm air is cooled, it loses its capacity to hold moisture, leading to condensation of excess humidity. This process effectively reduces the overall humidity inside the building, creating a more pleasant and healthier environment. Proper humidity control is essential as excessively dry or humid conditions can negatively impact respiratory health, cause mold growth, and damage furniture or other possessions.