Articles

Effect Of Climate Change In Electric Power Consumption

by Jenny C. Blogger and Outreach Expert
Climate change
Source: American Iron and Steel Institute

Climate change affects the electricity markets through both the demand and supply of electricity. The ever-increasingly growing consequences of climate change progressively threaten the electricity system. Our electricity systems are very vulnerable to harsh weather events, including extreme heat, drought, wildfires, and coastal flooding; all of these are likely to accelerate and appear in the years ahead.

Cases that encounter extreme heat, wildfires, coastal flooding, and drought have frequently been occurring and costly in recent years. We have many examples right in front of us from the recent past. The cases of extreme events in the weather cause a lot of damage to society and the environment. And such hazardous situations are going to come up with increased rates as there is a rapid rise in the global temperatures and with consequential outcomes for the electricity sector. The climate change category includes rising sea levels, changes in patterns of precipitation, the river flows patterns, greenhouse gas concentration levels, rising levels of the sea, and extreme air temperature.

The growing climatic risks are going to harm our supply of electricity and major consequences for the electricity sector.

How Does Climate Change Occur?

Climate change occurs due to both human and natural causes. A particular climate is said when a geographical area has specific prevailing weather conditions. Over the course of time, mother earth has seen and gone through immense global climatic changes, including the ice ages, the period of dinosaurs, and the current warm period, which we are a part of now. Many regions of the earth have also gone through local climatic changes due to earthquakes, large storms, and eruptions caused by volcanoes affecting the target locations. So, looking at the patterns, we can say that climate changes have been occurring and will continue to encounter changes. But climate change is now affecting our infrastructure systems and a lot more. So, there needs to be some public awareness about the risks of climate change and how it can affect the whole existence gradually.

What Are The Impacts Of Climate Change On Electricity Consumption?

Our household and businesses consume electricity for a lot of purposes, which include residential heating and air conditioning, lighting, operating equipment, and cooking also, but it affects climate change in no manner. But residential heating and air, residential heating and cooling play a major role in consuming electricity.  Most of the countries depend on electricity for cooling and heating in residential houses. With increasing standards of living and incomes, people are investing in air conditioning facilities all over the world for comfort, but little did they know they are harming the planet for the sake of their own comforts. Producing and using the air conditioners and related equipment’s aggravates climate change and worsen the situations.

Heatwaves are dangerous and are becoming more prevalent. So, the need for the moment is that people find other ways to stay safe and cool, and climate change is drastically increasing at alarming rates.

How Do Air Conditioners And Equipment Affect?

There is an organic compound, Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC), which is a primary refrigerant that is used in air conditioners and refrigeration units. These HFC's are very potent greenhouse gases than CO2 and can be leaked from any place from the air conditioning equipment's even while manufacturing or in the installation processes, to the disposal of used and old units. And increases challenges and threats for the future.

But there are several solutions to keep situations under control and people safe and comfortable, along with a reduction in climatic pressures.

What The Challenges And Opportunities Can Be?

Warmest countries may become heavier users of air conditioning facilities over the next coming years. China and the united states are the countries that have a high concentration of air conditioning use and have high HFC leakage and space cooling energy use. So, this is a challenge to control the usage of air conditioning systems across the globe.

Efficient air conditioning units can be used to lighten the weight of the increased electric needs for power.

By using coordinated efforts on global platforms by making policies and bringing technologies would help in order to make more efficient units with reliable solutions for the users.

Global support and efforts would be needed to bring changes, starting from step by step and small-scale policies that may work and prove to be successful.

To reduce the effect on space cooling, technological improvements may be required and help.

Changes in local infrastructure and behavior would be a major complement to technological developments and policies.

There are several ways and strategies that can help in reducing climate change and improve the scenario globally. Strategies can be tailored as per the needs of different regions and countries to help them work even better. Once the planet starts to warm, probably not everyone would need to use air conditioning technologies.


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About Jenny C. Advanced   Blogger and Outreach Expert

83 connections, 1 recommendations, 355 honor points.
Joined APSense since, September 25th, 2019, From Tampa, United States.

Created on Oct 30th 2019 02:03. Viewed 566 times.

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