SPACE COOLING

The document outlines a hierarchy for space cooling, prioritizing the minimization of heat gain through passive measures before investing in mechanical systems. It details various cooling technologies, including fans, evaporative coolers, heat pumps, and air conditioners, providing guidance on their efficiency, costs, and appropriate climatic applications.

• Space cooling and heating combined represent 45 percent of total home energy use, with space cooling alone typically accounting for 13 percent of total energy use and costing homeowners $197 annually. In hotter climates, cooling can exceed 20 percent of total energy use and cost more than $350 per year.
• Passive cooling measures—which control heat gain without electrical equipment—can reduce energy bills by up to 40 percent. Effective measures include natural ventilation, minimizing indoor heat generation, weatherization, insulation, window shading, roof whitening, and strategic landscaping.
• Fans are presented as low-cost cooling options. Ceiling fans can allow homeowners in hot climates to raise their thermostats by up to 4ºF while maintaining comfort, and Energy Star-rated models can save approximately $25 per year in energy costs.
• Evaporative coolers are highly efficient in dry climates, using less than one-quarter of the energy required by conventional air conditioners and avoiding toxic refrigerants. However, they are ineffective in humid regions, such as the eastern U.S. and much of the Midwest.
• Geothermal heat pumps are more efficient than air-source heat pumps, using 23–44 percent less energy. According to the EPA, they can reduce heating bills by 30 to 70 percent and cooling costs by 20 to 50 percent, potentially saving over $400 annually.
• Conventional air conditioning is described as the most energy-intensive cooling method. Efficiency can be improved by sealing ducts (saving up to $300 annually), setting thermostats to 78ºF or higher, and replacing units older than ten years, which are often only half as efficient as modern models.

APA

Yardi, R., Smith, A., & Wang, K. (2004). SPACE COOLING. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_HEB3SpaceCool.pdf

Chicago

Yardi, Ramola, Andy Smith, and Katherine Wang. SPACE COOLING. RMI, 2004. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_HEB3SpaceCool.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Yardi |first1=Ramola |last2=Smith |first2=Andy |last3=Wang |first3=Katherine |title=SPACE COOLING |publisher=RMI |date=2004 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_HEB3SpaceCool.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yardi2004space, author = {Yardi, Ramola and Smith, Andy and Wang, Katherine}, title = {{SPACE COOLING}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2004}, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_HEB3SpaceCool.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }