Scientists Make Greenhouse Gas Belching A/C Units More Climate Friendly

As the planet keeps heating up, humans around the world rely more on air conditioners (A/C). But the more we use A/C, the worse global warming gets. It’s an issue experts are sweating to resolve.  

The goal is to build A/C systems that pollute less. To do so, they need to use less electricity. They also need to be low cost. Cooling systems make up almost 4% of all emissions. That's more than planes. And emissions from cooling systems could triple by 2050 if nothing is done. That's according to the International Energy Agency. 

Going without A/C isn’t an option. Rising heat is making some regions almost unlivable. That's true in some parts of India and Southeast Asia.       

“It’s a necessity product in the context of today’s world, so we have to get it right,” Ankit Kalanki told The Washington Post.  

Kalanki is an engineer with RMI. It's a Colorado-based company. It promotes A/C units that focus on getting rid of humidity rather than cooling homes. While A/C units reduce humidity, most aren’t very good at it. Climate change isn’t just leading to higher temps. It's also leading to higher humidity. In India, humidity is often very high. That leads A/C owners to lower thermostats to try to get rid of the stickiness. That can mean overcooling their homes. It also produces more greenhouse gases.    

Tech to address the problem include splitting cooling and dehumidification functions in A/C units. And some tech is focused on getting rid of chemical refrigerants. Instead, “evaporative” and “electrocaloric” cooling can use water or electric fields to remove heat.   

Groups based in China and Japan won a Global Cooling Prize co-sponsored by RMI. They plan to market systems that have five times less climate impact than normal A/C units in 2025.  

Reflect: How do you think we can stay cool in the heat while also taking care of our planet?

Photo of air conditioning units on a building from Unsplash courtesy of Thomas Layland.