What the Future of Air Conditioning Could Look Like!

Green Air Conditioning Tech:Present and Future

Who is the next generation green AC company? There are a number of green initiatives in air conditioning, heating and cooling. And the next big green AC company will depend on the first new green AC tech to be widely adopted.

Thermo-Acoustics: AC Technology

Thermo-acoustics has been pioneered by Cool Sound Industries. Thermo-acoustics uses sound waves to create temperature differentials and harnesses them to cool an interior space. Thermo-acoustics does not require a refrigerant like CFCs, Freon or propane. It is energy efficient. The systems are also theoretically more reliable than current air conditioners because it has fewer moving parts. Solar Air Conditioning technologies are also making a increasing headway in home and business comfort solutions. Desiccant Based Air Conditioning Both 7AC Technologies in conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Mitsubishi are demonstrating air conditioners based off of desiccants. 7AC Technologies uses desiccants, salt water solutions and next generation plastics in an air conditioner that uses half or less electricity than conventional units while reducing the electricity needed to heat a home as well. Mitusbishi's desiccant based air conditioner uses half to two thirds of the power conventional air conditioners use.

Retro But Green and AC Solutions for Developing Nations

Developing nations want air conditioning, which improves their working conditions, and it needs refrigeration to reduce food waste and food borne illnesses. A number of retro but environmentally friendly solutions are appearing in countries like India, where electricity is often unreliable and appliances like conventional refrigerators cost more than the average family makes in a year. The Mitticool refrigerator is made from clay. It is designed to use evaporation to keep items inside of the refrigerator cool. It chills vegetables and drinks, allowing them to last several days instead of going bad overnight. It simply requires a modest refilling each day or two. Snowbreeze is an air conditioner that uses ice, water and a low power fan to cool rooms. It has an effect similar to an air conditioner while using far less electricity. Snowbreeze uses about 100 watts while a one and a half ton air conditioner would use 2,000 watts. It runs off the modest power production of a solar cell or batteries. Ice would come from stores, but it could also come from ice making machines connected to the grid. The units are cheap enough for families who make a few hundred dollars to year, allowing them to lower the temperature in a room by 15°F and keep working indoors during 100°F days. And the Snowbreeze does not add to the already intolerable humidity, which makes conventional air conditioners work harder to make a room tolerable. Retro but green AC devices tap into the "bottom billion" market, the two billion people who live on one to two dollars a day and need basic technologies like clean running water, refrigeration, air conditioning and electric lighting to make dramatic improvements in their lives. Retro, green devices that are cheap could generate a fortune because they would sell hundreds of millions of devices.