International News
SUSTAINABILITY AND COOLING – MORE FANS , LESS CONDITIONING
University of Sydney led study has found that using indoor
A fans more often allows people to reduce their air conditioner use without changing how hot they feel , paving the way for reducing future energy use and greenhouse gas emissions .
People often turn to air conditioners during hot weather by default to cope with the heat , but this study has found electric fans are an effective and sustainable choice to circulate air indoors , without sacrificing comfort .
In the study , it was found that by using indoor fans alone , indoor temperature levels can increase by 3 to 4˚C more until it became uncomfortable ( the main reason why we reach for the air conditioner remote during hot weather ) compared with air conditioner use alone .
An additional cost-benefit analysis in the paper on the environmental impact found the total benefit of using fans to reduce overall air conditioner use from a greenhouse emissions perspective surpassed even the switch from incandescent light bulbs to LEDs .
Modelling led by the University of Sydney , found that just by slightly increasing indoor air movement by using indoor fans can reduce electricity consumption and the associated cost of cooling indoor spaces with air conditioners throughout a typical Australian year by approximately 70 percent .
Despite warmer indoor conditions because of less air conditioner use – the study found using fans still maintained the same comfort levels as lower indoor-temperatures with regular air conditioner use .
The research published in The Lancet Planetary Health was conducted by an international team of experts from the University of Sydney alongside Monash University , University of Newcastle and Radboud University medical centre , based in the Netherlands .
The work showcases how making the switch to widespread indoor fan use can potentially reduce energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions .
The key lies in the fundamental way electric fans operate to cool the human body compared to air conditioners . Electric fans generate higher air speeds across the skin surface to achieve a higher heat loss despite warmer temperatures , whilst air conditioners by themselves lower temperatures with little air movement .
“ Through their sole purpose of lowering air temperatures , air conditioners feed a cycle of high electricity consumption - often delivered by fossil fuel power stations that in turn contribute to further increases in emissions ,” said co-senior author professor Ollie Jay , director of the Heat and Health Research Incubator in the Faculty of Medicine and Health .
“ The latest IPCC Sixth Assessment Report on Mitigation of Climate Change emphasises the need for adoption of low-emission lifestyles , including cooling choices for thermal comfort ,”
“ Our study confirms that low-cost solutions such as fans have the potential to contribute towards emission reductions for meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement ,” said lead author Dr Arunima Malik , senior lecturer in sustainability at the School of Physics and Business School .
Siebe Warmoeskerken | Unsplash
In the study , using fans to supplement air conditioning at low-speed achieved desired comfort levels , in addition to producing a significant reduction in energy use .
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