As global temperatures rise due to climate change, the number of air conditioning units in use globally is expected to quadruple by mid-century, increasing from 3.6 billion today to 14 billion in 2050, according to a new report by scientists at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. As a result, the world will consume five times more energy for cooling than it does today.
The report includes air conditioning units in homes and workplaces, as well as those used for activities like food and medicine storage and industrial processes. It estimates that in the next 30 years, 19 cooling appliances will be installed every second. With no advances in cooling technology, the report finds air conditioning could consume 19,600 terrawatts of energy per year globally, up from 3,600 terrawatts today. Electricity for cooling alone could consume more than 80 percent of the International Energy Agency’s projected total renewables capacity for 2050.
Read more at Yale Environment 360
Image: Window air conditioning units in East Harlem, New York. CREDIT: JASON KUFFER / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
