A recent report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) states, “Population growth and expanding housing in tropical regions are expected to significantly increase energy demand for cooling, intensifying environmental and economic pressures. Although energy is consumed during construction, it is operational energy – powering heating, cooling, and lighting – that accounts for 80-90% of a building’s total energy use over its lifecycle.”
WEF estimates as population growth is projected to reach 10 billion by 2061, the total building stock is expected to double to meet housing and living requirements. The highest population growth rates are expected in the tropics, which already host 40% of the global population. It is here that the largest increases in building energy demand will likely be concentrated. Therefore, without addressing the significant emissions from buildings, this could have a devastating impact on a region that holds 80% of the world’s biodiversity.
Any ‘positive-energy’ building generates more renewable and clean energy than it consumes, advancing the net-zero initiative. Although, there are net-zero initiatives in place, unfortunately, less than 1% of the global building stock has so far achieved net-zero status. WEF predicts that the rising demand for indoor cooling through Air Conditioning (AC) in hot, humid climates creates an adjacent challenge.
Interestingly, since 1990, energy use for space cooling has more than tripled, with approximately 2 billion AC units now installed worldwide, accounting for as much as 50% of a building’s total operational energy in tropical regions. WEF predicts that typically, the higher the household income, the more likely they are to install AC but as technologies and utilities become more affordable, they could become more prevalent in low-income nations.
In particularly low-income dwellings, people may become more reliant on water, with socioeconomic inequality leading to longer, more frequent showers when AC isn’t affordable or available.
Although this report has not directly talked about the growth of evaporative cooling, it will find the widest application in the tropical regions, so more than anything, we need to be careful on creating and maintaining sources of clean water.
Pravita Iyer
Publisher & Director
