Researchers recently reported that rising temperatures brought by climate change could lead to prolonged blackouts in the United States during peak times.
Mail Online reported that according to a new study, such an occurrence would drive a rise in the number of residences and businesses that run air conditioning through the summer in the country.
Additionally, there are extended periods of blackouts if more is not done to improve power capacity and enhance power plants' efficiency, as specified in the study.
To better understand the effect of climate change on air conditioning, the study authors projected the summer season usage against the different warming levels.
Read also: UN COP26: Hottest Temperature Recorded in the Last 7 Years; 2021 Pivotal for Climate Change
Temperatures Increase by 2.7 Degrees Fahrenheit
For instance, if temperatures increase by 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit over pre-industrial levels, a target the United Nations set to limit the worst of climate change, demand would still surpass capacity by as much as eight percent, the study investigators revealed.
If temperatures increase by 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, a possible outcome-based to present trends, demand would be 13 percent higher than the production capacity.
The research team said improvements in the home air conditioning appliances' efficiency by up to eight percent would enable increased use minus higher power demands.
Global average temperatures are set to increase by 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit by the 2030s, based on the most recent climate change models resulting from emissions coming from human activities.
Dramatic Changes to Global Climate
Such rises in temperature are a global average and appear to match the UN's target as part of the Paris Climate agreement, although it could go even higher.
Experts have forecasted that minus substantial mitigation, with a major decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, global temperatures will possibly go beyond the 3.6-degree Fahrenheit threshold by the end of the century, leading to dramatic changes to the global climate.
Past studies have investigated higher future temperature effects on annual electricity consumption or daily peak load for specific states or cities.
Nevertheless, the new research is the first to predict home air conditioning demand for the entire country. They have incorporated observed and forecasted air temperature, heat and humidity changes, and discomfort indicators based on present feedback from people.
Impact of Climate Change
They looked at air conditioning use by households across the contiguous US in data collected by the US Energy Information Administration between 2005 and 2019.
In a related report, ScienceDaily said the team didn't look at the effect of any population rises, keeping approximations to present population levels or other factors that drive air conditioning demand like affluence, and focused purely instead on the impact of climate change.
According to environmental engineer Renee Obringer from Penn State University and the study's lead author, they tried to isolate just the effect of climate change.
If nothing changes, Obringer explained, "If we, as a society," refuse to adjust, if humans are not matching the efficiency demands, the environmental engineer asked, "what would that mean?"
Heatwaves Expected to be More Dangerous
In order to continue the use of air conditioners minus leading to rolling blackouts, the researchers said substantial efficiency improvements are needed to the technology.
This new study carried out by the American Geophysical Union specified that such improvements could supply the additional cooling required for the achievement of current comfort levels following the 3.6-degree Fahrenheit global temperature rise minus increased demand for electricity.
Essentially, increased efficiency of one to eight percent would be needed, depending on the existing state standards and the expected demand increase with Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas on the high end or efficiency improvement demand.
The biggest risk to the grid will occur during heat waves, which are forecasted to occur more frequently as the climate changes in the coming decades.
Such heatwaves are expected to be more dangerous, and posture increases the danger to humans, resulting in much greater use of air conditioning units. Commenting on study findings, Obringer explained that electricity generation is lower than the peak during heat waves, further decreasing capacity.
Related information about how air conditioning is warming the world is shown on CNBC's YouTube video below:
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