The Relationship Between Urban Heat Island and the Air Conditioning Use

In recent years, the "urban heat island effect" has become an unavoidable question between climate change and urban development. At the same time, as a necessary piece of equipment in urban households and commercial buildings, air conditioners are also regarded as a key factor that influences the effect. So what is the relationship between the urban heat island effect and the use of air conditioners?

1. What is the urban heat island?

The urban heat island (UHI) effect refers to the urban areas where the buildings are too close, the traffic is too busy, and the energy consumption is too high; as a result, the temperature there is apparently higher than other cities nearby. Particularly in summer, the temperature in the center of the city is frequently 3℃-7℃ higher than in rural areas; partially, the temperature difference can reach 10℃.

Key reasons include:

Buildings and roads absorb heat strongly but dissipate it slowly at night.

Transportation and industrial facilities emit large amounts of heat.

Air conditioning units, refrigerators, and other cooling equipment release "waste heat" in operation.

Insufficient green spaces.

2. How does air conditioning use accelerate the heat island effect?

During the air conditioner cooling procedure, the indoor heat is expelled to the outside, and that heat is called waste heat. At the peak of the summer season, thousands of air conditioners work together, waste heat increases more and more, and the outdoor temperature is increased as well.

It behaves as:

Partial temperature increasing: In densely populated commercial districts or residential areas, the temperature on summer nights is often higher than in the suburbs.

Energy consumption cycle: Higher outdoor temperatures → hotter indoors → air conditioning runs harder → more waste heat is emitted → accelerates the heat island effect.

Electricity burden: Peak air-conditioning loads increase the burden on the power grid and may even cause power rationing or blackouts.

3. How does the heat island effect in turn affect air conditioning usage?

Higher cooling needs: The urban temperature is higher than the rural, so more and more people in the city will need to use the air conditioners.

Increased energy consumption: When the outdoor temperature increases, the air conditioner cooling efficiency decreases, and the power consumption increases.

Shortened machine lifespan: Under high burden operation for a long time, the compressor and key components are easily aging.

4. How to alleviate the conflict between the urban heat island effect and air conditioning?

Promote high-efficiency air conditioners: DC inverter air conditioners, R32 refrigerant, EVI technology, and such ways to reduce energy consumption and waste heat.

Strengthen the insulation for buildings: Insulation on walls, Low-E glasses, rooftop greenery, and such methods to reduce the reliance on air conditioners

Adopt renewable resources: Use solar air conditioners and solar heat pumps to reduce the burden on the power grid.

Urban regulations and improvements: Increase green spaces, water bodies, and ventilation corridors to enhance the city’s overall cooling capacity.

The relationship between air conditioning and the urban heat island effect is bidirectional. To solve this vicious cycle, the key is to improve energy efficiency, optimize city planning, and adopt more green energy. This will allow cities to enjoy the air conditioning and reduce the burden on the environment. We can deal with this issue by promoting high-efficiency products, adding more green spaces to the city, and using green energy. This is a duty ahead of us.