The growing use of air conditioners in developing nations has brought to the limelight vulnerability of their power grids. The escalating consumer demand for air conditioners not only puts strain on nations’ power grids, but also poses threats to the environment and thus, contributes to global warming.
With dramatic increase in the sales of air conditioners in the past few years, the energy used for air conditioning is a major part of the total energy consumed by most countries. Moreover, the coal or gas used to run the air conditioners act as climate pollutants.
A recent study states that approximately 80 per cent of the impact of this equipment on climate is due to the burning of greenhouse gases that serve as the refrigerants in the equipment. The refrigerants used within the coils to dehumidify the air contribute to the remaining 20 per cent.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), used as refrigerants in ACs, were found to accelerate depletion of the ozone layer in the Earth's stratosphere and finally were eliminated and replaced by hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) in 1996. This is a transitional fluorocarbon with reduced impact on ozone depletion. HCFCs are also being phased out and rapidly swapped by hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs).
HFCs are not known to have any impact on ozone depletion as they lack chlorine. Nevertheless, they have been found to be super-greenhouse gases with potential to contribute heavily to global warming. The puzzle thus, remains unsolved as the effort to solve one environmental problem is exacerbating another.
photo courtesy - bubblews
