Just one datapoint. In mid-Florida Gulf Coast this March and April, with highs reaching the upper 80s, a single 12000 BTU mini-split set on "dehydrate" rather than "cool" provided 95% of the cooling needed for a 1700sqft house while using only a few kilowatt hours a day. So mini-splits can do this latent cooling--but I don't think this capability is widely advertised or widely appreciated.
Thanks for the link. For "dry" mode, I should have said "dehumidify" rather than "dehydrate" (although the air is being dehydrated). When I asked my wife if she wanted it on "dehydrate", she laughed wondering if she was going to end up like the dried apple slices she makes in the dehydrator for hiking snacks.
Will you cover nature-based solutions? Design-based solutions? Shade, urban greening (in part from converting impervious, heat-absorbing and releasing surfaces, to planted, absorbent, cooling surfaces), building orientation, passive cooling, etc etc etc can help significantly. Solutions involving planting, particularly of trees and of dense plantings with lots of roots, can also help sequester carbon.
I've always been curious what the cooling power of rooftop solar is. It seems like it would be significant just in the shade created by the panels. Also, what about the heat reflecting paint combined with bi-facial solar panels on the roof? Shade + reflecting paint + capturing more energy. Seems like win win win.
Probably worth a whole series. Just want to make the point that YUGE progress has already been made in reducing cooling energy use in new and existing buildings in the global North/West. Some has been offset by "glass-chitects." But even "clear glass" now often reflects 75% of solar heat.
I worked on energy codes and utility programs for California 25 years ago and the value model the CEC mandated focused us on cooling load reductions and efficiency. So new or renovated buildings there often have low cooling costs despite high electric rates, compared with nearby states. They are also now seeing reduced summer electric rates because of the expansion of "industrial" solar and storage.
I'm a bit obsessed with "natural refrigerants." The US has fallen behind. We want our chemie companies to replace HFCs with HFOs, some (all, most?) of which break down to TFA/PFAS.
One wonderful thing about cooling electricity use, it typically occurs when solar-generated electricity is (can be, should be?) abundant.
Another company working on desiccating air is Blue Frontier. Recharging the desiccant is something they use as a selling point, saying it can be done during off-peak times when electricity rates are low. I think they are focused on commercial scale.
Atmospheric Water Harvesting might also be a thing. Some environments could benefit from some synergy, here.
Also, some interesting things in reflecting, shading, etc. are on my radar, but technical and cost details are hard to come by, which always raises a red flag with me. It just seems way too easy to burn investor capital, these days.
The high GHG and toxic refrigerant situation can get pretty scary in a world where people are scrambling to survive the heat. Too much DIY likely happening, here.
Καλημέρα and thank you from Crete, where ac and white painted flat roofs are almost universal, usually painted with rubberised Hy-roof or similar. Something better would be wonderful. Just wanted to say extra thanks for the transcript. There are millions of us deaf people on the planet who simply can't access audio podcasts!
I'm surprised that you didn't mention the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal treaty on ozone-depleting substances. You did mention the change in refrigerants that came about because of the agreement, but not the agreement itself.
Just one datapoint. In mid-Florida Gulf Coast this March and April, with highs reaching the upper 80s, a single 12000 BTU mini-split set on "dehydrate" rather than "cool" provided 95% of the cooling needed for a 1700sqft house while using only a few kilowatt hours a day. So mini-splits can do this latent cooling--but I don't think this capability is widely advertised or widely appreciated.
Thank you, I was wondering how control improvements would help with dehydration without overcooling. Your comment let me to find https://www.greecomfort.com/news-and-events/what-does-dry-mode-do-on-mini-split-air-conditioners/ etc
Thanks for the link. For "dry" mode, I should have said "dehumidify" rather than "dehydrate" (although the air is being dehydrated). When I asked my wife if she wanted it on "dehydrate", she laughed wondering if she was going to end up like the dried apple slices she makes in the dehydrator for hiking snacks.
Will you cover nature-based solutions? Design-based solutions? Shade, urban greening (in part from converting impervious, heat-absorbing and releasing surfaces, to planted, absorbent, cooling surfaces), building orientation, passive cooling, etc etc etc can help significantly. Solutions involving planting, particularly of trees and of dense plantings with lots of roots, can also help sequester carbon.
They did around the 37 minute point.
I've always been curious what the cooling power of rooftop solar is. It seems like it would be significant just in the shade created by the panels. Also, what about the heat reflecting paint combined with bi-facial solar panels on the roof? Shade + reflecting paint + capturing more energy. Seems like win win win.
Probably worth a whole series. Just want to make the point that YUGE progress has already been made in reducing cooling energy use in new and existing buildings in the global North/West. Some has been offset by "glass-chitects." But even "clear glass" now often reflects 75% of solar heat.
I worked on energy codes and utility programs for California 25 years ago and the value model the CEC mandated focused us on cooling load reductions and efficiency. So new or renovated buildings there often have low cooling costs despite high electric rates, compared with nearby states. They are also now seeing reduced summer electric rates because of the expansion of "industrial" solar and storage.
I'm a bit obsessed with "natural refrigerants." The US has fallen behind. We want our chemie companies to replace HFCs with HFOs, some (all, most?) of which break down to TFA/PFAS.
One wonderful thing about cooling electricity use, it typically occurs when solar-generated electricity is (can be, should be?) abundant.
Solar Farms Are Farms!
Another company working on desiccating air is Blue Frontier. Recharging the desiccant is something they use as a selling point, saying it can be done during off-peak times when electricity rates are low. I think they are focused on commercial scale.
Atmospheric Water Harvesting might also be a thing. Some environments could benefit from some synergy, here.
Also, some interesting things in reflecting, shading, etc. are on my radar, but technical and cost details are hard to come by, which always raises a red flag with me. It just seems way too easy to burn investor capital, these days.
The high GHG and toxic refrigerant situation can get pretty scary in a world where people are scrambling to survive the heat. Too much DIY likely happening, here.
Καλημέρα and thank you from Crete, where ac and white painted flat roofs are almost universal, usually painted with rubberised Hy-roof or similar. Something better would be wonderful. Just wanted to say extra thanks for the transcript. There are millions of us deaf people on the planet who simply can't access audio podcasts!
I'm surprised that you didn't mention the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal treaty on ozone-depleting substances. You did mention the change in refrigerants that came about because of the agreement, but not the agreement itself.
https://youtu.be/xGZPMsv2I6o