That’s a fun fact. The US also roughly produces as much renewable electricity as total African production. Total African energy production is projected to grow faster than renewable conversion in the US, though.
The implied unfairness there becomes a bit more fictional when you consider that an electricity user in Washington state isn't exactly competing with an energy user in Gash-Barka region.
Where such a comparison does become intensely valuable is when the EU says things like "we will do whatever it takes" in relation to energy and food. The implication there is "we will out-bid anyone" and "anyone" happens to be Africa and much of Asia. That's quite a horrendous way of using your currency to export the famine and freezing that you deserve to people who had no say in your bad policy decisions.
It's funny that air con is seen as a wasteful luxury, but nobody blinks at a heating bill, even though the average household spends 4x more on heating.
The negative externalities are interesting though: using air con inside makes your outside that much hotter on a hot day, whereas in winter, nobody worries about waste heat leaking out.
Thank you! I find the opinion that AC is somehow a decadent luxury but heating is essential to be a very Northern US/Eurocentric view.
From a pure energy usage perspective, it may make more sense to live in a warm climate that never needs heating versus a cold climate that never needs AC.
It's not a wasteful luxury. It's critical. But more attention needs to be paid to overall efficiency. Better home insulation and building materials, and better AC unit placement and better units themselves.
France as a policy to reduce heating energy in households aswell.
It's even seen as a primary mean to reduce energy waste.
People are more and more conscious that you don't need to heat your house at 70F+.
It's ok to live with a sweater on.
> The negative externalities are interesting though
They're not interesting, because they're absolutely negligible. You're moving heat that was outside, back outside. Your house cooled the outside, and you're just undoing this insignificant amount of energy transfer. The only additional heating is from inefficiencies, which aren't so bad these days.
I’m surprised it hasn’t been increasing faster. The US is in the midst of drive to replace heating systems of all kinds with more efficient heat pumps, with massive effort behind it, including restrictions on other kinds of heat, significant tax returns for upgrades of existing systems, etc… and they are lumping heat pumps into the figure.
> 88% of U.S. households use air conditioning (AC). Two-thirds of U.S. households use central AC or a central heat pump as their main AC equipment.
The cost of central air has been dropping (it was something like $3k add-on to a furnace replacement) and so rarely do you install or replace a furnace without A/C, and once you have central air, you just set it and forget it. Even a fancy thermostat is going to use more energy than a loud window unit that you turn off whenever possible.
I wonder how this may relate to all the pandemic WFH. Where I live, many residences don't even have AC though it's common in offices. However, if you're home during the hottest part of the day and have to wear something that covers your shoulders for video calls, it becomes a lot more necessary.
The article describes growth from 87% in 2015 to 88% in 2020. If there's an impact from covid it's either tiny or this data was collected too early in 2020 to show it.
I'd have to move way North to be able to sleep OK without AC. Or maybe to a desert area with high elevation, for those nice, cold nights.
Discovering how much better I sleep when the temp is in the 62-66F range has made a big difference. I'd hate to go back to trying to sleep with temps over 68F, certainly. Over 72F and I basically can't sleep. I mean I'm sure I'd acclimate to some degree, but it's not like I was already used to sleeping in colder temps before I tried it, so I'm pretty sure that range is absolutely better for me, regardless of what I'm accustomed to or able to tolerate.
It's not your fault, it's your house's. Modern houses are designed to be mechanically ventilated. Older houses were designed to have better thermal mass and better airflow. I have a friend who lives in an 1800s-era "summer home" (designed specifically for the wealthy to live in during the summer). It is quite comfortable during the summer without the AC on.
Before AC, Americans mostly lived in cold parts of the country, and heated to get to a comfortable temperature. AC allowed comfortable temperatures in warmer areas, and there's been a huge migration to the sun belt. This process has decreased our energy needs, because the average American now lives in a place where the climate is, on average, closer to a comfortable living temperature than they did a century ago.
There's lots of anti-EV FUD / hand wringing on social media about "how will the power grid handle all those electric cars?!"
Meanwhile... few similar statements about air conditioning. Which in my house -- and that of everyone else I know with an EV -- uses many times the amount of energy that charging a car does. Even when I was commuting 100km a day.
Air conditioning is the cause of pretty much all brownouts where I live here in southern Ontario.
Grid resiliency is obviously important on both fronts. And AC is critical. But it's also really expensive from an energy POV.
Hmm that's weird I haven't seen any anti-ev fud. If anything it should stabilize the grid especially if they're smart about when they charge each night, and can feed a little energy back when needed.
If the power grid can't handle everyone running AC, how will it handle everyone running AC and also charging cars?
EVs adoption adds stress to an already overstressed power grid. The grid needs to be improved if we want EV charging to be available to the masses. It's not FUD, it's just obvious.
> Meanwhile... few similar statements about air conditioning.
I think this is an easy one. For people who live in hot climates, not having an AC can be a significant health/safety issue. Same with heat in cold climates. Having a ICE car over an EV car poses no immediate health risk, like this potentially does.
TIL I live in a marine environment. When I first moved here many decades ago, everyone said you don’t need AC. Nobody says that anymore. The winters have noticeably gotten wetter and the summers have gotten hotter.
I guess I am in the minority because I don't run an AC unit in my bedroom office here in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The humidity can get a little miserable during the height of the day, but it's completely tolerable as your body adjusts. For the few days each year when we get into the 90s, I strap a couple of reusable ice-packs from my ice chest to my back, neck, and seat. This method works exceedingly well for affordable cooling until the night temperatures bring everything back into comfortable territory.
I visited Texas this summer and the consistency of the 100+ degree days turned me off from ever considering that part of the country. I find that it's just too hostile to life; heaven forbid you experience a power outage for a week causing your AC to become a useless heap of metal; what then?
Edit: Does this data count heating as well? Whenever I hear "AC" I typically think cooling, thus my main comment is focused on that aspect. Heating here really only needs to be enough to keep pipes from freezing, beyond that, it's very easy to stay warm with enough clothing, blankets, and body movement.
Reading a Mr. Money Mustache article about heat acclimation really changed my mindset about air conditioning. For the past several summers, we've used minimal-to-low AC. It helps that we both work from home now, so we're not spending our days in a highly-air-conditioned office.
I just sent my kids to their first day of school on a 97-degree day. In Portland, Oregon, which is about 100 miles farther North than Portland, ME. My AC has been on pretty constantly all summer. There, of course, is no AC at the school. Why the heck would their be? It's not even in session during the summer in a mild climate.
I remember when we moved in to our current house in 2015; we did the first summer without AC, but had it installed for the next year. Felt like a comfort/luxury thing. We had a bit of cash and thought it would be fun to have central air for the first time. Now I honestly don't know what we'd do if it broke.
My partner and I go without AC for most of the summer unless we have company or if it gets to 100 F. It is difficult at first, but your body does acclimate after a week. I usually have a fan blowing next to me while working from home, since my office room doesn't have any AC anyway. Take away my fan, and I'm screwed. Of course if go to a movie or restaurant I have to bring a long sleeve shirt, because it will feel too cold. :)
One century ago no-one had AC, and even today I suspect that billions of people live in hot climates without AC. Sure you may argue that some of them may not have running water or toilets, either, but I think AC has to be on the 'luxury' side of the scale and also something really 'needed' when people fight the local climate instead of adapting to it.
In Europe fewer than 10% of homes have AC. Europe is not much cooler on average than the US, although granted the "hot and humid" killer combination is more common in the Southern US than in Southern Europe. But it must be asked whether it makes sense at all to live in places where reasonable comfort requires advanced technology.
This is likely simply due to the fact that more homes have AC now:
... "By 1980 that number had risen to 63%, and in the 40 years since then air conditioning has grown exponentially and is now present in a whopping 95% of homes in the US according to the most recent US Census."
https://www.fixr.com/blog/2021/06/22/presence-of-air-conditi...
You might say that this is because we need it more now, but I think it's actually just that we can afford to install it now in every new home and so we do. It's just considered standard equipment.
I agree. Not only “we can afford” it but in many cases have no other choice, because other forms of heating a home have been regulated out of existence.
One significant improvement in energy expenditure would be to continually increase the standards for insulation and air sealing. Many folks could cut their bills for heating and cooling in half by making substantial upgrades here.
I have a evaporative cooler and it works well until the temps hit 100F (which has been a more frequent occurrence in the last few years). My neighborhood seems to be slowly converting to mini-splits.
I think there's still a lot of low hanging fruit to pick to keep structures cool that we just aren't utilizing because of aesthetics/tradition/fashion. Solar reflective paint, retractable sun shades, etc. "Low-Tech" solutions to knock a few degrees off of the structure's internal temp could make a lot of difference.
I wonder how much we could reduce A/C usage by changing how we build. Contractors seem ignorant of traditional practices that used to help in part no doubt because they think they can throw A/C at bad design.
For instance, what if we used masonry instead of wood frame houses (masonry tends to insulate better; look at infrared pictures of American wood frame houses and European masonry). Also, orienting houses in proper relation to the sun and arranging rooms in a way that facilitates better air flow (embrace the summer draft). Also, evaporative cooling. I am not proposing we eliminate A/C, only find ways and build in a way that allows us to cool houses for cheaper or even for free.
[+] [-] ggrelet|3 years ago|reply
Source: https://e360.yale.edu/features/cooling_a_warming_planet_a_gl...
[+] [-] 1123581321|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] solarhoma|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tenpies|3 years ago|reply
Where such a comparison does become intensely valuable is when the EU says things like "we will do whatever it takes" in relation to energy and food. The implication there is "we will out-bid anyone" and "anyone" happens to be Africa and much of Asia. That's quite a horrendous way of using your currency to export the famine and freezing that you deserve to people who had no say in your bad policy decisions.
[+] [-] landemva|3 years ago|reply
What if this said, "Reminder that the US use more electricity for its domestic-use TV than the entire African continent."
Electricity consumption is an indicator of economic success. FWIW, I own neither AC nor TV.
[+] [-] renewiltord|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] brianwawok|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] thematrixturtle|3 years ago|reply
The negative externalities are interesting though: using air con inside makes your outside that much hotter on a hot day, whereas in winter, nobody worries about waste heat leaking out.
[+] [-] tyoma|3 years ago|reply
From a pure energy usage perspective, it may make more sense to live in a warm climate that never needs heating versus a cold climate that never needs AC.
[+] [-] cmrdporcupine|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Minnericht|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nomel|3 years ago|reply
They're not interesting, because they're absolutely negligible. You're moving heat that was outside, back outside. Your house cooled the outside, and you're just undoing this insignificant amount of energy transfer. The only additional heating is from inefficiencies, which aren't so bad these days.
[+] [-] unknown|3 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] fomine3|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] matheweis|3 years ago|reply
> 88% of U.S. households use air conditioning (AC). Two-thirds of U.S. households use central AC or a central heat pump as their main AC equipment.
[+] [-] bombcar|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rwcarlsen|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kixiQu|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jefftk|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Aperocky|3 years ago|reply
But where I live we still need AC, fan just allowed me to put it at 80 instead of 75.
[+] [-] duxup|3 years ago|reply
I'm generally hot and without it ... can't imagine how I'd make it.
I sometimes think I"m not far from living life like the people in WALL-E, tied to my machines (in their case chair) unable to manage otherwise.
[+] [-] yamtaddle|3 years ago|reply
Discovering how much better I sleep when the temp is in the 62-66F range has made a big difference. I'd hate to go back to trying to sleep with temps over 68F, certainly. Over 72F and I basically can't sleep. I mean I'm sure I'd acclimate to some degree, but it's not like I was already used to sleeping in colder temps before I tried it, so I'm pretty sure that range is absolutely better for me, regardless of what I'm accustomed to or able to tolerate.
[+] [-] elil17|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] colechristensen|3 years ago|reply
This is the case of most “I can’t imagine” situations, just do it for a bit and your fear will prove mostly unfounded.
[+] [-] bcrosby95|3 years ago|reply
I used a fan. On especially hot days I would have a bowl of water with a wash rag to help cool me down.
[+] [-] jefftk|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] cmrdporcupine|3 years ago|reply
Meanwhile... few similar statements about air conditioning. Which in my house -- and that of everyone else I know with an EV -- uses many times the amount of energy that charging a car does. Even when I was commuting 100km a day.
Air conditioning is the cause of pretty much all brownouts where I live here in southern Ontario.
Grid resiliency is obviously important on both fronts. And AC is critical. But it's also really expensive from an energy POV.
[+] [-] JamesBarney|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] twblalock|3 years ago|reply
EVs adoption adds stress to an already overstressed power grid. The grid needs to be improved if we want EV charging to be available to the masses. It's not FUD, it's just obvious.
[+] [-] nomel|3 years ago|reply
I think this is an easy one. For people who live in hot climates, not having an AC can be a significant health/safety issue. Same with heat in cold climates. Having a ICE car over an EV car poses no immediate health risk, like this potentially does.
[+] [-] unknown|3 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] irrational|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bluejellybean|3 years ago|reply
I visited Texas this summer and the consistency of the 100+ degree days turned me off from ever considering that part of the country. I find that it's just too hostile to life; heaven forbid you experience a power outage for a week causing your AC to become a useless heap of metal; what then?
Edit: Does this data count heating as well? Whenever I hear "AC" I typically think cooling, thus my main comment is focused on that aspect. Heating here really only needs to be enough to keep pipes from freezing, beyond that, it's very easy to stay warm with enough clothing, blankets, and body movement.
[+] [-] PebblesRox|3 years ago|reply
https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/06/14/the-worlds-most-e...
[+] [-] pkulak|3 years ago|reply
I remember when we moved in to our current house in 2015; we did the first summer without AC, but had it installed for the next year. Felt like a comfort/luxury thing. We had a bit of cash and thought it would be fun to have central air for the first time. Now I honestly don't know what we'd do if it broke.
[+] [-] francisofascii|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mytailorisrich|3 years ago|reply
One century ago no-one had AC, and even today I suspect that billions of people live in hot climates without AC. Sure you may argue that some of them may not have running water or toilets, either, but I think AC has to be on the 'luxury' side of the scale and also something really 'needed' when people fight the local climate instead of adapting to it.
[+] [-] Sharlin|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] readthenotes1|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mdavis6890|3 years ago|reply
... "By 1980 that number had risen to 63%, and in the 40 years since then air conditioning has grown exponentially and is now present in a whopping 95% of homes in the US according to the most recent US Census." https://www.fixr.com/blog/2021/06/22/presence-of-air-conditi...
You might say that this is because we need it more now, but I think it's actually just that we can afford to install it now in every new home and so we do. It's just considered standard equipment.
[+] [-] matheweis|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] maherbeg|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] LarryDarrell|3 years ago|reply
I think there's still a lot of low hanging fruit to pick to keep structures cool that we just aren't utilizing because of aesthetics/tradition/fashion. Solar reflective paint, retractable sun shades, etc. "Low-Tech" solutions to knock a few degrees off of the structure's internal temp could make a lot of difference.
[+] [-] bcrosby95|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ethbr0|3 years ago|reply
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/images/2022.05.31/Chart2.s...
[+] [-] illuminerdy|3 years ago|reply
Come at me, bro...
[+] [-] bobthechef|3 years ago|reply
For instance, what if we used masonry instead of wood frame houses (masonry tends to insulate better; look at infrared pictures of American wood frame houses and European masonry). Also, orienting houses in proper relation to the sun and arranging rooms in a way that facilitates better air flow (embrace the summer draft). Also, evaporative cooling. I am not proposing we eliminate A/C, only find ways and build in a way that allows us to cool houses for cheaper or even for free.
[+] [-] Proven|3 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] faeriechangling|3 years ago|reply
[deleted]