New Air Conditioner Technology to Save the Planet 

The world is getting warmer. As the planet heats up, residential and commercial air conditioning will play an ever-more vital role in keeping millions of people comfortable and safe. The combination of rapidly warming temperatures and the rise of living standards in certain areas of the world have accelerated the need to create new air conditioner technology and make current HVAC systems more efficient.

Smart Air Conditioners Are Just the Start 

As researchers explore new technologies, current air conditioning systems are getting smart. Smart AC units offer connectivity to homeowners on the go. More Bluetooth air conditioners and Wi-Fi-connected units have entered the market over the past several years.

New AC technology offers features such as:

  • Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity
  • Adjustable cooling schedules
  • Energy-saver modes (or “smart settings”)
  • Monthly usage reports

Some smart air conditioners also offer smart home integrations with smart speakers like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and other smart systems. One of the most exciting features is geolocation. With your permission, your smart AC unit can turn on when you’re a certain distance away. This ensures your home is cool and comfortable when you walk in, and you don’t have to turn the AC up the minute you walk in the door.

Related content: Everything to Know About Smart HVAC Vents

Are Smart Air Conditioners Worth It? 

Investing in a smart air conditioner offers improved energy efficiency and more ways to keep your home comfortable. You may not need to use these extra features every day, but the smart scheduling and monthly reports are great ways to keep track of your energy use patterns and AC expenses.

Thinking Bigger: New Ways to Keep Homes and Buildings Cool

Today, more than 84% of US households have air conditioning, and we aren’t afraid to use it. Roughly 5% of all electricity produced in the US is used for air conditioning in American homes, costing more than $11 billion per year.

As more nations worldwide see improved living standards, air conditioning usage will increase rapidly. Experts believe air conditioning usage will triple by 2050, with India, China, and Indonesia being just a few nations expected to see AC demand surge. This has accelerated the need to develop high-tech air conditioning units on a rapidly growing scale.

One of the most exciting technologies in development is the use of metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs. These porous materials are compounds comprised of metal ions. These materials pull moisture from the air and into the device, reducing heat and humidity indoors.

A traditional air conditioner also collects moisture. An AC unit’s evaporator, sometimes called a “cold coil,” removes moisture from the air through the process of condensation. Unfortunately, the evaporator must be much colder than the surrounding air to work, which requires a considerable amount of electricity. Powering the evaporator coil takes up to nearly half of the energy used in an AC unit.

In a MOF air conditioning system, moisture is removed passively. Since it uses no power, the total energy use of the unit is immediately reduced by half. It further reduces its energy use by recycling warm air to dry the MOF material, allowing it to pull in more moisture. This system requires just 1/5 the electricity of a traditional HVAC unit.

Don’t look for MOF air conditioners just yet. The technology is still several years away from being commercially viable. Still, it remains one of the world’s best hopes in reducing energy use while also making millions of homes around the world more comfortable.

Still, homeowners can take action to make their HVAC systems more sustainable. Change your filters, make preventative maintenance a priority, and use smart thermostats and other devices to use your HVAC system. Your local One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning technician can help you decide when it makes sense to upgrade your current AC unit to a heat pump or other energy-efficient option.

Bring Energy-Efficient HVAC Technology Home

Trust One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning to put the latest home cooling technology to work for you. Our trained technicians can help your family improve HVAC efficiency, lower energy bills, and find creative ways to heat and cool your home sustainably. Call (800) 893-3523 or request an appointment today to get started.