EVAPORATIVE AIR-CONDITIONING CONTRIBUTIONS TO REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND GLOBAL WARMING

Evaporative air-conditioning (EAC) is an environmentally friendly and energy efficient cooling method that only uses water as the working fluid. EAC provides superior indoor air quality over vapor-compression systems since 100 % outdoor air is used. The use of EAC instead of vapor-compression systems also helps reduce global CO2, CFC, and other greenhouse gas emissions. Over 20 million residential evaporative coolers are in operation today worldwide. Around the globe EAC residential units directly obviate at least 118 million pounds of HCFC-22. These residential coolers save approximately 60 million barrels of oil annually and 27 billion pounds of annual CO2 emissions in lieu of using vapor-compression air-conditioning systems. Contributions from commercial and industrial applications of EAC are on a similar order of magnitude as well. However, EAC is an under-utilized technology worldwide that has yet to fulfill its ' full potential. The potential future global market and environmental benefits of this technology with increased market penetration is enormous. EAC technologies alone, as well as coupled with desiccant technologies, could displace the need for vapor-compression air-conditioning for many applications. As developing nation economies grow, energy saving technologies such as EAC will assist with future development. The energy savings and corresponding greenhouse gas emission reductions from more widespread adoption of EAC can play an important part in the challenge of meeting global CO2 and other greenhouse gas emission reductions targets