Comments on: Air conditioning trends in the USA

By: Toby

Toby — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 19:19:16 +0000

While modern air conditioners are probably more efficient that the older ones, power expended is still an accurate measure since that power has to go somewhere, in this case either to moving heat indoors to out, or as waste heat.

By: Evan Jones

Evan Jones — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 01:38:27 +0000

Is “power expended” a good measure of AC output? Doesn’t one have to measure the “coldness” in order to offset the heat?

Is it possible that a modern AC can affect the readings more than an old AC–while actually using less power?

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 13:17:28 +0000

Since we’re talking about tenths of a degree celsius, I would certainly think that hot air from an AC unit would bias the sensor’s output by measurable degree. The same way a particularly cloudy day would, but for the opposite reason (natural vs mechanical)

By: David Walton

David Walton — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 23:15:16 +0000

I don’t think air conditioners alone would be make for a reasonably broad Urban Heat Island effect study since there are so many other significant sources to also consider. But focusing on their bias effects would likely spill over into how heat from other local sources can effect temperature measurements.

Why not a simple aggregate study of a set of sensors with known heat island problems against a control group not influenced by such effects?

Just a thought. The comparison could be made entirely with already existing data by simply categorizing and separating data sources into groups.

By: David Walton

David Walton — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 22:59:30 +0000

I think Will is on to something, “Al Gore in front of a similar chart saying that producing electricity to run all those air conditioners is causing global warming.”

All those air conditioners in close proximity to temperature measuring equipment and corrupting the data could be the cause of global warming.

By: Will

Will — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 18:53:11 +0000

This same data could be used to make an argument in the other direction. I could see Al Gore in front of a similar chart saying that producing electricity to run all those air conditioners is causing global warming.

By: Steven Jones

Steven Jones — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 16:24:15 +0000

“Air Conditioners juxtaposed with temperature sensors for USHCN climate stations of record all over the USA.”

I just wonder if the A/C units being so close to the sensors are having a direct impact on the sensors.

By: Jeff Wood

Jeff Wood — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 15:40:28 +0000

I live in the countryside, and when I go to the city I really notice the difference in temperature between the two. Go into the back alleys where the shop air conditioning units vent and one soon appreciates the cause.

Follow the money. I was puzzled that for the last few years there has been no summer drop in oil prices in the UK, indeed often a rise. My newspaper explained a year ago that as air conditioning spreads, there is a greater summer demand for oil than in the winter. A remarkable datum.

By: jeff

jeff — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:08:47 +0000

Some places, like the west coast of Washington, don’t really need AC. It doesn’t get nearly as hot for nearly as long as in the central and eastern part of the state. So people only really use AC for a few days a year, unless they’re just gluttons for high electric bills.

Last year when we had a “heat wave” (stayed in the 90s for a few days) people went and bought a bunch of portable AC units, only to try and return them when it was over.