Ford, B; Mumovic, D and Rawal, R (2022) Alternatives to air-conditioning: Policies, design, technologies, behaviours. Buildings & Cities, 3(1), pp. 433-447. ISSN 2632-6655
Abstract
Far from being a panacea, air-conditioning is shown to create social, environmental and economic problems. Alternatives to air-conditioning are identified as a key means of reducing energy demand and carbon emissions, improving resilience to heat, and providing a healthy indoor environment. These alternatives are more than a technological issue and help to reframe coolth as an attribute and not a commodity. This editorial introduces the themes and individual papers in this special issue. It explores the implications of these alternative solutions across a range of issues: health and wellbeing; air quality; heat stress; technical/design solutions; economics and equity; climate change; social expectations and practices; policy and regulation; supply chain and procurement; education and training. Recommendations for change involve policy and regulation, construction industry business models, redefining the design decision process, improving performance and feedback, and updating workforce skills and capabilities.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | adaptation; air-conditioning; climate change; cooling; design; energy demand; environmental control; passive cooling; public policy; thermal comfort |
| Index terms: | adaptation, indoor environment, health and wellbeing, energy demand, carbon emission, editorial, heat stress, education and training, design decision, climate change, construction industry, public policy, thermal comfort, regulation, business model, air quality, environmental control |
| Subjects: | design practice, industry analysis, political science, environmental engineering, environmental health, professional education, climate science, research dissemination and communication, mental health and wellbeing, user focus, business, environmental science, energy systems, public policy |
| Topics: | Governance, Sustainability, Research Practice, Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Education, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here