As climate change makes summers hotter, it is expected that there will be an increase demand in air conditioning use, increase energy demand thus placing more pressure on the electric grid, leading to more blackouts and sustaining a cycle of more greenhouse gas output, further worsening of an already unbearable heat.
Researchers from University of Sydney, luckily for us, did a cost-benefit analysis on the environmental impact of using an electric fan instead with positive results and published their study in The Lancet Planetary Health journal.
Fans and air conditioning keep us cool in different ways. Whereas fans keep us cool through high air speeds to increase heat dissipation from the body, air conditioning attempts to lower air temperature without any air movement. In other words, using the leverage of a fan is more intelligent than the brute force attempt of an air conditioning.
Researchers compared energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions in various scenario modelling with different air conditioning and fan use combinations. Then they logged and analyzed data also based on fans and human comfort limits, number of hours above thermal comfort limit were calculated for air conditioning usage, and greenhouse gas emissions from the energy used in these scenarios.
They found that fans operating at air speeds of 1.2 m/s with occasional air conditioner use, compared with air conditioners alone, led to a 76% reduction in energy use (5592 GWh to 1344 GWh) and associated greenhouse gas emissions (5091 kilotonnes to 1208 kilotonnes). This benefit is even better than switching from incandescent light bulbs to LEDs.
Fact is people become uncomfortable too easily from the heat. Using a fan still maintained the same comfort level as using an air conditioning at those levels of “discomfort”.
You guys need to man-up and stop being such cowards to low level of heat. Men these days are too weak as evidenced by their use of air conditioning for even the slightest increase in temperature. By keeping the air conditioning off, you’ll be a stronger person for it while showing mercy for the environment and sparing the electric grid the hassle of unneeded stress. Electric fans are also cheaper than air conditioning just to buy as well (there, your finance problem is also solved so no more complaining about that either).
Too much weakness in our society today. Real men don’t use air conditioning.
A Malik et al. The potential for indoor fans to change air conditioning use while maintaining human thermal comfort during hot weather: an analysis of energy demand and associated greenhouse gas emissions. The Lancet Planetary Health. DOI: 10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00042-0
