Perhaps, the worst feedback loop we are stuck in today is the one involving usage of the A.C to counter the effects of climate change. As the globe gets warmer, we crank up the A.C to neutralize the effect. This in turn leads to more energy use and even unintended release of HFCs into the atmosphere causing the effects of climate change to grow much worse. To fight this, we boost the AC usage even more! And thus, we lay prisoners to this horrid feedback loop that is slowly eating up our planet.
The global demand for energy due to air conditioning is expected to triple by the year 2050. HVAC systems account for almost 10% of global energy use today. This figure will only rise with improvements in living standards across the globe aside from the obvious increased need for air conditioning required to offset the effects of climate change.
In the last decade alone the global energy demand has risen by over 6000 Terawatt-hours! That is an equivalent of 1 quadrillion LED bulbs. According to the International Energy Agency, the number of Air Conditioners in the world is expected to cross 5.6 billion units by 2050. The sheer amount of electricity that will be required to power these systems will be massive. Focusing on improving the efficiency of existing systems will correlate to a reduction in primary energy use. The energy efficiency ratings used to describe air conditioning systems are namely EER( Energy Efficiency Ratio and SEER( Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio).According to Dr Fatih Birol, the Executive Director of the IEA “Growing electricity demand for air conditioning is one of the most critical blind spots in today’s energy debate,”. The challenge can be tackled in a variety of ways. Ranging from simple steps one can take at home to research in upcoming energy efficient technologies, there are quite a number of ways in which a more efficient system can be created.
Technologies that shine a ray of hope
Dais Analytics in Florida, in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), is developing a new membrane-based rooftop air conditioner, which would use water as a refrigerant instead of conventional chemicals. This technology could potentially save 30%-50% in electrical consumption compared to the roof top units of today.
SkyCool systems is a company based out of the U.S that is working on a system that uses reflective panels spread across large areas to cool buildings more efficiently. Although the tech involved is fairly complex, the ultra reflective panels essentially act like mirrors that reflect away sunlight and radiate infrared light in the range that will pass through the atmosphere into space. The systems should ideally be incorporated into the hydronic systems in use today and is expected to yield at least 10-70% savings in energy use.
Yet another CleanTech startup, Blue Frontier aims to take the HVAC industry by storm with its hyper efficient air conditioning system and concentrated salt energy storage solution. The RTU provided by Blue Frontier is claimed to provide 60-80% energy savings. Aimed to be used in-line with renewable energy, these systems come with load-shifting thermochemical energy storage solutions as part of the package. In effect this helps the HVAC systems iron out the inadequacies in connected load requirements that come with regular systems.
Efficiency can also be achieved through the ingenious use of automation technology as proved by BrainBox AI. The company uses deep learning models to pre-emptively control HVAC systems. The solution uses existing data from the building systems and other sources to aid in decision making. The technology promises a future where HVAC system controls are constantly updated to suit the need of the inhabitants and their behaviours. Being a system that can turn regular buildings into smart HVAC control centres, the company claims that their system can produce up to 25% reduction in energy costs.
Improvements at the design stage
Care must be taken in the design stage to ensure that a suitable energy efficient system is laid out. Sustainable building practice codes often provide recommendations to aid in efficient design of HVAC systems. Several key design factors can play a huge role in the design of green buildings. Experimenting with creative use of materials, playing with building orientations, understanding project requirements, and creating an energy efficient strategy for HVAC design can result in significant savings in opex. The engineering team must work in tandem with the architectural team with the same goal in mind in order to achieve the desired results.
The industry of the future will be dependent on AI based technologies for the production of energy efficient designs. These systems will ensure that each building is modelled to have the most energy efficient systems automatically without human intervention. Such systems will model energy efficient layouts using the principles of generative design and computational fluid dynamics to reach prime effectiveness.
Electric cars and hybrids wont alone save the planet. In fact, cars contribute less than half of transportation related emissions today. Even if the entire transportation industry is taken care of, that will only solve 14% of the CO2 problem. Sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, buildings and of course electricity contribute the rest. Only through strict action and innovation in each of these fields will we be able to curb the effects of climate change. Every human being deserves to live in a comfortable environment. But this should not come at a cost. Hence, it is the responsibility of the industry and the people as a whole to move towards a thermal environment control system that is both feasible and sustainable.