Air conditioning may keep a room cool, but using it is heating up the planet. It is time for something new — or old, like "wind catchers."
From 2021:
87% of all U.S. homes are equipped with air conditioners, and air conditioning accounts for 12% of residential energy use. Besides the fossil fuels that power them, many use refrigerants to cool the air, which can be potent greenhouse gasses if released. In addition, air conditioners cool us down by capturing heat from the interior of buildings, but they expel that heat outside, directly warming the environment and contributing to the urban heat island effect.
And ironically, the warmer it gets, the more cool air we blast and the more electricity we consume. The solution: Innovators are working hard to find ways to cope with the new normal — extreme heat and rising temperatures. The creativity is high, from apps that help pedestrians find cool walks and shady spots to next-generation technologies like cooling paper that lowers the temperature inside homes. .... In the hot, arid Iranian Plateau, ancient structures, called “wind catchers,” are attracting academics, engineers, and architects who want to find creative new (and old) ways to cool off. The wind catchers, or bâdgir in Persian, are common structures that extend above the rooftops in rectangular towers, reports BBC. They made life livable. And, because they cool a building without using electricity or fuel, they are an attractive green solution. ..... Wind catchers are designed differently based on the prevailing winds and temperatures in a local region. The most uncomplicated design faces the tower opening toward the prevailing wind to create natural ventilation. But local climates are complicated, and often wind catchers had many features: filters, passive cooling systems (by passing hot air over cool water), or multiple openings to account for varied wind directions.Â
