From Heat To Hope: How do We Reduce Energy Consumption By 30%?

FROM HEAT TO HOPE: HOW DO WE REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY 30%?

In this mini-series, we take a closer look at how air conditioning is a ticking carbon bomb, why cutting energy use by 30% is not radical, and how small changes in daily habits make it achievable

By: Sigrid Vestergaard Frandsen, Director of Environmental Health

Most indoor spaces in the U.S. are cooled far below what is necessary — often 18–20°C (65–68°F). The cooling services industry is currently responsible for over 10% of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To put that into perspective, the commercial airline industry is responsible for "only" 4% of the GHG emissions. Therefore, in the future, we will have to redefine what “comfort” means to us. Because comfort is no longer just an indoor preference, it’s an environmental decision.

Today, air conditioners are clustered mostly in wealthier countries. In the United States and Japan, 9 out of 10 households have AC units. In India and Indonesia, only 1 in 10 households have ACs, and about 3 in 10 in Brazil and Mexico.

This means that not everyone has equal access to room-cooling technologies, while our world is heating more rapidly, and overconsumption of air conditioning is quickly becoming a ticking carbon bomb, particularly in countries where wealth is also growing, as well as an increase in year-round heatwaves.

Energy and climate researcher Shelie Miller, from the University of Michigan, warns that we are going to see a rapid expansion of ACs around the world in the near future.

Miller predicts that the global demand for room ACs will surge from 1.2 billion units in 2018 to beyond 5 billion units by 2050 among those who can afford it, including a fivefold increase in the tropics and subtropics. If that prediction comes true, that means the world will emit 4000 TWh in 2050 (1.47 million metric tonnes of CO2) on air conditioning alone. That is the same as 36,716,968 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for just one year.

One more thing to notice is that, if all cooling needs were met, regardless of wealth, 14 billion AC units would be needed globally by 2050.

So, what can we do?

It only requires changing small, daily habits to reach a 30% reduction in our energy consumption.

Here are a few suggestions out of many:

Heat Abatement Technologies

That alone can reduce existing buildings' heat absorption by up to 30%.

Like sunscreen for your home, Heat Abatement Technology consists of natural materials that project sun rays and prevent your home from overheating.

A higher thermostat setpoint is healthier

Not only for your energy bill and the climate. It is better for your own health, too.

Constant exposure to very cold indoor environments — especially when it’s hot outside — forces the body to repeatedly adjust between temperature extremes.

Let your air conditioner rest

Cranking down your air conditioner or turning it off completely can have immense positive effects.

Your energy bill will shrink significantly, the air we breathe will become cleaner, and we can avoid a future carbon bomb. What's not to like?

Plant trees outside your windows

Plant deciduous or sun-loving trees on the south and west sides of your house for summer shade.

1.7 tree seedlings can absorb 100 kilograms of CO2 emissions in 10 years, according to the Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.

Shade your windows to block the heat

Exterior solutions like awnings, shutters, solar screens etc. can stop heat before it hits the glass. Interior solutions like shades, blackout curtains, window film etc. work like magic.

Using both exterior and interior solutions give double the effect.

Insulate your attic as much as possible

This will also help you keep warm in the winter, as well as cool in the summer.

In fact, insulating your entire house can benefit you all year. But the attic is a great place to start.

Rely on natural ventilation

Open your windows at night when it's coolest.

During the day, seal shut windows and doors to trap the cool air inside.

To be more strategic, open windows on the side of the house facing the wind (windward) and the opposite (leeward) side to encourage air flow.

Cook outside,

if possible

If possible, try to cook outside as much as you can, or don't turn on the oven during the day at all.

Reserve baking and washing for night time or after dark to avoid using home appliances that can heat up a room.

Here’s the real secret to a meaningful climate progress: Technology is powerful, but human behavior is exponential. One household changing its habits makes a difference, a million households doing it becomes a cultural shift, one nation doing it becomes a turning point. We don’t have to wait for innovations or new policies. Habit change is the solution that is available today, costs nothing, and delivers immediate impact.

More efficient homes with simple cooling practices, like heat abatement technologies, shading and shielding windows, and smart ventilation, could transform our energy culture, how we build new houses, and, ultimately, how we live.

In that future, comfort isn’t bought at the cost of the planet’s health.

Energy efficiency can even improve the comfort of everyday life and health, which may not be factored into most benefit statistics - and you can save money, too!

FROM HEAT TO HOPE: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ENERGY CONSUMPTION IS REDUCED BY 30%?

In this mini-series, we take a closer look at how it could potentially cut emissions, save billions, stabilize power grids, cool our cities, save lives & bring about cleaner air

FROM HEAT TO HOPE: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ENERGY CONSUMPTION IS REDUCED BY 30%?

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