As the world heats up and our daily use of toxic refrigerants increases, we must react.
Temperatures are rising, glaciers melting and seasons changing, with extreme weather conditions and serious consequences for wildlife.
Last year was the hottest on record, and around 60 per cent of the global population now lives with dangerous heat levels. One third of those people have little to no access to cooling solutions.
Cooling — air conditioning and refrigeration — is no longer a luxury but a necessity for productivity, health and survival.
Unfortunately, most cooling units currently in use are inefficient, and refrigeration and space cooling are responsible for over ten per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, with related emissions expected to double in the next 25 years.
Cooling is also expected to drive peak electricity demand, especially in hot countries, putting additional strain on already stressed grids and potentially requiring new power plants to meet growing need.
On a basic level, most of us use refrigerants from which, when released, gas remains trapped in the atmosphere and absorbs heat, warming the earth and acting as a CO2 multiplier in the atmosphere.
Just one kilogram of the refrigerant R410a has the same greenhouse impact as two tons of carbon dioxide, which is the equivalent of running your car for six months.
Also, refrigerants often leak from standard vapor compression systems during installation, maintenance and operation, as well as at the end of the product’s life. Annual leakage of refrigerants has been estimated to be between four and 22 per cent, and refrigerants contribute an estimated 30 per cent of total cooling equipment emissions.
So how do we balance comfortable living conditions with the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions?
One solution to the problem which is gaining popularity is solid state cooling, which has the potential to reduce the energy needed for cooling by between 20 and 47 per cent.
This also means a reduction in energy costs and strain on grids, plus less need to build new power plants. In fact, the Department of Energy estimates that solid-state cooling in the United States could save the equivalent in energy of 117,600 wind turbines running for a year.
These systems also eliminate fluid refrigerants with high Global Warming Potential (GWP) that standard systems rely on.
Companies are now seriously evaluating solid-state cooling and the quickening climate crisis is increasing demands that technology innovators react – and quickly.
Prototypes are being developed for a variety of cooling applications, including room air conditioning units that can replace through-the-wall systems that you typically see in hotels.
Durham-based Phononic believes its solid state chip has the power to cool and heat the world responsibly, with cooling applications that are energy efficient, sustainable, quiet, more reliable and more economical.
Phononic’s solid state cooling, refrigeration, heating, venting and air conditioning innovation uses water mixed with naturally available CO2, and has a GWP of just one or less, delivering the lowest rating in the industry.
The company says: “Since its solid state core is a fundamental departure from mechanical compressors, cooling applications are efficient, sustainable, quiet, more reliable, and more economical. Our solid state design can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support UN climate goals and meet the demanding performance needs of the market.”
It uses solid materials and an external force to induce temperature changes, without relying on moving parts or refrigerants, which makes them more reliable.
Phononic says its innovations are transforming how data is communicated, grocers merchandize and deliver food; vaccines and drugs are stored and protected, and houses and office buildings are cooled.
They can also be used in a variety of applications, from cooling electronics to providing personal temperature control.
More information is available at https://phononic.com/
