A study investigates the effect of air conditioning systems on air temperature and electricity demand. The study's findings: the release of waste heat (via AC systems) exacerbates the nocturnal urban heat island, thus increasing cooling demands.
"In Phoenix, a team from the University of Arizona found that air conditioning didn't make much of a difference in outdoor daytime temperatures, but at night, when temperatures drop to about 80 degrees, heat pushed outside by air conditioning heated up the ambient air by as much as two degrees," reports Lloyd Alter.
Alter is sharing the news of the study (titled "Anthropogenic heating of the urban environment due to air conditioning"), first detailed by Candace Pearson at BuildingGreen (that article is blocked by a paywall). Alter shares this snippet from the BuildingGreen article: "With extreme heat projected to increase this century, this positive feedback loop could prove a public-health concern or put further strain on electrical grids; in Phoenix, energy used for cooling already sometimes rises to half of the region’s total electrical consumption."
FULL STORY: Phoenix is cooking the planet to refrigerate its buildings
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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