What are the alternatives to air conditioning?

**Amber Minogue** (0:04)
What are the alternatives to air conditioning?
Thanks for asking. As summers get hotter, more and more people are turning to air conditioning to cool down buildings and vehicles. Not only does it make us more comfortable and productive, it can also save lives. After all, in the US, extreme heat is the single deadliest form of extreme weather. But air conditioning has some drawbacks, such as high energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and indoor air pollution. Air conditioning can also make us less tolerant of heat. Who has access to air conditioning? The number of AC units globally could increase by 244% by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency. But not everyone has access to air conditioning. In the US, research shows lower income households are much more likely to lack access. And one 2019 study found that between 1.8 and 4.1 billion people in developing countries who regularly experience dangerously high temperatures lack access to cooling technology. What are the impacts of air conditioning on the environment? Air conditioning uses a lot of energy. In fact, it accounts for about 10% of global electricity consumption. Most of this energy comes from fossil fuels, which contribute to global warming and air pollution.
It also uses refrigerants, which are chemicals that absorb and release heat. Some refrigerants are potent greenhouse gases that can leak into the atmosphere and damage the ozone layer. What are some alternatives to air conditioning? One option is to use passive cooling techniques, which means designing buildings to prevent heat from entering and to promote natural ventilation. For example, using insulation, external shades, green roofs, and cross ventilation can help reduce the need for air conditioning. Passive cooling can also take advantage of the body's natural ability to cool itself with evaporation by using fans or misting systems.
Another option is to use mechanical ventilation systems, which use fans to extract heat and indoor air pollutants through ducts and sweep fresh air through rooms. Mechanical ventilation systems can lower the temperature in every corner of the building for a fraction of the electricity that air conditioning uses. They can also improve the indoor air quality by bringing in fresh air from outside.
A third option is to use alternative cooling technologies that are more efficient and environmentally friendly. For example, evaporative coolers, which work by evaporating water into the air, can cool down dry climates with less energy and no refrigerants. Another example is geothermal cooling, which uses the stable temperature of the ground to cool down buildings with pipes and heat pumps. There you have it.
Now you know the alternatives to air conditioning. In under three minutes we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you really will know for sure.