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The relationship between air conditioning (AC) and urban heat is a complex one, reflecting a feedback loop that intensifies the challenges posed by rising urban temperatures.
Urban heat islands (UHIs), areas where cities experience higher temperatures than surrounding rural areas, are a key aspect of this problem.
AC systems, which are typically found in densely populated urban environments, exacerbate the UHI effect by releasing heat directly into the surrounding atmosphere.
One of the main reasons AC worsens urban heat is the way it works. AC units pull in warm air from inside buildings, cool it, and then release the heat outside.
This process increases the ambient temperature around the units, especially in places where many buildings have AC systems running simultaneously.
The effect can be particularly noticeable in crowded city centres or neighbourhoods where AC usage is high. In these settings, it’s not just the air conditioning systems themselves that contribute to the increased heat, but also the increased demand for electricity.
Most of the electricity used to power AC units comes from the burning of fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
This process adds to global warming, which further exacerbates the UHI effect. As cities heat up, people rely more on air conditioning, thus increasing the energy demand, perpetuating the cycle of warming.