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Thomas
@aviationdoctor.eth
The Economist with a cool (ha) article on innovation in air conditioning. TL;DR: - Avg temperature already up 1.2°C from pre-industrial baseline, on track to +2°C by mid-century. - AC units to triple by mid-century. - Evidence exists for heat-related mortality avoidance thanks to AC. - AC contributes more CO2 emissions than the airline industry. - Cooling becomes *more* energy intensive per ° as air temperature rises. - Decarbonizing electricity would help, but AC lifespan is typically 20 years, so the energy efficiency of units sold today will impact emissions through mid-century. - AC design currently does two things: cool the air and remove the condensed humidity from around the coils to avoid damage. - Research shows at least 40% improved efficiency by separating those two functions: push humid air through a lattice or membrane that captures water first, then cool the air. https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/09/04/new-tech-can-make-air-conditioning-less-harmful-to-the-planet
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Rafi
@rafi
On my recent Berlin trip, where AC is basically banned, I was brainstorming following question: What if air out of AC was transferred in similar way sewage is, ie. through pipes and far away from upstream environment? There could be optimization and power generation opportunities for all that condensed heat. It would probably dramatically increase deployment costs of AC but it's better than having none of them. Summers in non-AC'd European apts and offices are horrific.
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