Heatwave thresholds

[jupiter]

A heat wave at 26? Twenty six? At 27 it feels like I should be putting a shirt on soon. 26?

 

[jon0844]

We now have three portable air conditioners, with the latest being a small 9,000BTU unit that operates at about 650Wh. Another one is over 1kWh, while the third is old and really should be scrapped because it's inefficient and maybe needs re-gassing.

We've ended up where we are because we didn't invest in a proper A/C install, and it was easier to use the portable units because they weren't used that much, but now get used progressively more year-on-year.

Since fitting solar, at least that's enough to run them in the day and by evening the battery can keep one or two on to help sleep.

I know some people will argue we don't want air conditioning as standard due to the impact on the grid, but even with two units on the consumption is not that significant - it's below 2kWh for us. We could run the A/C at a slightly higher temp so it runs for less time, but as it's 'free*' we aren't doing that yet. (* It isn't free as we could export that energy to earn 15p per kWh, but when you're uncomfortably hot it's fine to give up money you never actually had!).

The Government is now looking at offering a subsidy for heat pumps that can heat AND cool, precisely because I think we must acknowledge that people are going to want to cool their homes. We should also be getting housing developers to look at things like window shutters or awnings, and other materials to allow better heat reflection and reduce the need for A/C to work all the time.

If we get a heat pump in the future, I will likely look at installing proper air conditioning. By then our solar and battery investment should have been paid off, and we can add more batteries (and even potentially more solar panels by using a vertical south facing wall, fencing etc). Besides the heat put into the outside air, it will be 100% green energy - as I'm assuming that if it's hot enough to need A/C then there will be enough solar energy to run it.

It won't simply be possible to just think nobody needs air conditioning. I doubt many people own a car without it, but back in the 1990s I paid (a lot) extra for air con on a car and everyone thought I was mad. They didn't, funnily enough, on a hot day... now the same will happen with homes, and certainly commercial buildings where people go. I wouldn't want to spend any time in a shop or restaurant without A/C.

 

[Harpo]

I wouldn't want to spend any time in a shop or restaurant without A/C.

In last weekends hot blast I noticed how many family groups had stopped for picnic-style breaks in an Air-Con shopping mall in Guildford.

 

[jon0844]

In last weekends hot blast I noticed how many family groups had stopped for picnic-style breaks in an Air-Con shopping mall in Guildford.

I've been known to sit in my car on very hot days, and am actually loving the feature on my car that lets me turn on the A/C via an app so the car can be cool (or warm) in advance of getting in.

Some shopping malls do seem to go a bit OTT with the air con though. You don't want to need to bring a jacket when you go out on a 30+ degree day!

 

[gswindale]

I've been known to sit in my car on very hot days, and am actually loving the feature on my car that lets me turn on the A/C via an app so the car can be cool (or warm) in advance of getting in.

Some shopping malls do seem to go a bit OTT with the air con though. You don't want to need to bring a jacket when you go out on a 30+ degree day!

It's not just shopping centres.

Several of us at my company have "emergency" jumpers in our backpacks for warm days when the a/c in the office is operating in overdrive mode. Doesn't help when your desk is between 2 blowers!

 

[Class 317]

We now have three portable air conditioners, with the latest being a small 9,000BTU unit that operates at about 650Wh. Another one is over 1kWh, while the third is old and really should be scrapped because it's inefficient and maybe needs re-gassing.

We've ended up where we are because we didn't invest in a proper A/C install, and it was easier to use the portable units because they weren't used that much, but now get used progressively more year-on-year.

Since fitting solar, at least that's enough to run them in the day and by evening the battery can keep one or two on to help sleep.

I know some people will argue we don't want air conditioning as standard due to the impact on the grid, but even with two units on the consumption is not that significant - it's below 2kWh for us. We could run the A/C at a slightly higher temp so it runs for less time, but as it's 'free*' we aren't doing that yet. (* It isn't free as we could export that energy to earn 15p per kWh, but when you're uncomfortably hot it's fine to give up money you never actually had!).

The Government is now looking at offering a subsidy for heat pumps that can heat AND cool, precisely because I think we must acknowledge that people are going to want to cool their homes. We should also be getting housing developers to look at things like window shutters or awnings, and other materials to allow better heat reflection and reduce the need for A/C to work all the time.

If we get a heat pump in the future, I will likely look at installing proper air conditioning. By then our solar and battery investment should have been paid off, and we can add more batteries (and even potentially more solar panels by using a vertical south facing wall, fencing etc). Besides the heat put into the outside air, it will be 100% green energy - as I'm assuming that if it's hot enough to need A/C then there will be enough solar energy to run it.

It won't simply be possible to just think nobody needs air conditioning. I doubt many people own a car without it, but back in the 1990s I paid (a lot) extra for air con on a car and everyone thought I was mad. They didn't, funnily enough, on a hot day... now the same will happen with homes, and certainly commercial buildings where people go. I wouldn't want to spend any time in a shop or restaurant without A/C.

Aircon also adds to the urban heat island effect which is something we need to reduce as it's been observed to raise urban temperatures by a range of 1 degree to 3 degrees depending on the study and size of urban are etc.

Air con obviously cools the home down but adds to heat for other properties so needs to be well thought through to avoid a social divide etc.