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Cooling System & Design
28.03.2024

Cooling System & Design

The Earth's temperature is expected to increase by two degrees by 2050, posing risks to ecosystems, including desertification, which will influence migratory flows. By the middle of the millennium, the number of migrants is estimated to reach 216 million.

Since the scorching summer of 2003, the world has been using more energy for cooling (which will reach 45% more by 2050 compared to 2016) than for heating, especially in emerging countries. It is estimated that within the next 30 years, two-thirds of households worldwide will have an air conditioner.

The air conditioning market

The air conditioning market by the end of 2024 is projected to generate a revenue of $263.50 billion, consuming 20% of the total electricity used and contributing to 40% of global carbon dioxide emissions.

Major sectors of usage include the industrial sector, where the air conditioning market is set to reach nearly $37.92 billion by 2033, and construction. The latter should focus on more efficient and ecological systems to mitigate the "heat island" effect.

Green strategies

Before resorting to sophisticated HVAC systems, attention could be directed towards proper building orientation along the heliothermic axis to control irradiation, or considering shading and natural ventilation, implementing green roofs, and using adequate insulating materials capable of counteracting summer heat. Unfortunately, Italy, with the 110% Superbonus, missed an extraordinary opportunity to upgrade existing assets, including in the cooling sector, allowing for the prevalent use of low-cost insulating materials, such as expanded polystyrene, with minimal effects to protect homes from heat.

Even in the mobility system, the market for air conditioners is on the rise, with portable ones expected to reach $1,787.45 million by 2031.

Future scenarios

Forward-thinking future prospects must assess the benefits of cooling without jeopardizing the energy system and the environment. The development of innovative cooling technologies sees trends inspired by IAQ and smart thermostats, geothermal or solar cooling technologies to drastically reduce dependence on the electrical grid.

Other sustainable alternatives include biomass cooling systems, absorption-based systems, or ice-powered cooling, as well as magnetic refrigeration. Still in the research phase are quantum cooling, crucial in the high-tech field, and electrocaloric refrigeration where materials change temperature in response to an applied electric field.

It is multidisciplinary design that must intervene to design and adopt strategies, innovative systems, bioclimatic solutions, and new cultural models capable of "saving the world."

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