Engineers recognize and respect the importance of finding solutions that contribute to energy and water efficiency in air conditioning systems.
by Alfredo Sotolongo*
The most economical energy to produce is the one saved!
In my last writing I shared with our readers the very important advantage of reducing the carbon footprint by designing air conditioning systems as efficient as possible. This not only results in lower operating costs but also considerable benefits to the environment.
The engineers in our industry and the manufacturers we work with recognize and respect the importance of finding solutions that contribute to the efficiency of energy and water consumption in air conditioning systems. This is achieved by selecting the best refrigerant available and embracing the transition from fossil fuels to electrification. Electrification is defined as the process of replacing technologies that use fossil fuels such as coal and oil, with technologies that directly use electricity produced from renewable energy.
In many of our Latin American countries and Caribbean islands, electricity is used that is not produced by coal or oil. We already have wind, hydro, solar energy and in many cases, using natural gas to generate electricity, this being the most efficient fossil in minimizing CO2 emissions, carbon dioxide.
The aim of international agreements is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. According to experts, greenhouse gases have a direct relationship with climate change and global warming. I hope that in the next 28 years investments can be justified to reduce the carbon footprint and achieve the desired goal without significantly affecting the economy of our countries.
Aware of this situation and seeking to recover the investment as quickly as possible, equipment and system manufacturers in our industry continue to develop new products. The purpose of this equipment is to minimize the electricity consumption of electricity generation plants that still use fossil fuels. This is a way to gradually reduce the carbon footprint.
I understand that when many of the electricity generation plants manage to use renewable fuels, we will get closer and closer to the goal of international agreements. I believe that with the knowledge we have so far, we will not be able to achieve this without significantly affecting the economies of many countries.
However, the awareness of many citizens of the world has been changing and we can notice it in the contributions of many industries that manufacture commonly used products such as LED lights and others that are reducing the costs of means of transport operated by electricity. I am optimistic that our air conditioning industry will continue to develop important innovations to this end.
Definitely, the use of electrification to generate electricity through renewable energy and thus use less coal or oil will contribute to reducing the carbon footprint. We must always keep in mind that an economic balance is essential to be able to keep the basic needs of the people covered and at the same time satisfy the conditions of the environment.
If you need more information on this topic, please contact us through the [email protected]
* President of Protec, Inc., is certified as a professional engineer in Puerto Rico and the state of Florida; He has more than 40 years of experience in the application and sale of systems and equipment for energy conservation. He is a member of ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), AEE (Association of Energy Engineers), ASHRAE and was president of the Miami chapter of that association.
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