A study found that waste heat generated by a city’s worth of air conditioners during a heatwave can raise the outside temperature by more than 2 degrees Celsius.
Having just spent some time in Hong Kong, a city that appears to be addicted to AC, I had wondered this myself. Shops completely open to the street would have air conditioners blasting. You almost had to wear a jumper inside many buildings because they were set so low. I went into shopping malls which had portable AC units because they has single glazed glass frontages which radiated heat.
Having just spent some time in Hong Kong, a city that appears to be addicted to AC, I had wondered this myself. Shops completely open to the street would have air conditioners blasting. You almost had to wear a jumper inside many buildings because they were set so low. I went into shopping malls which had portable AC units because they has single glazed glass frontages which radiated heat.