Air conditioning accounts for around 7% of the world’s electricity demands and this is set to increase to over 15% by 2050, the International Energy Agency has said.
Due to the increase in global temperatures, the demand for cooling technologies is increasing, however, this contributes to climate change due to increased use of fossil-fuel power plants.
There are fewer than 2 billion AC units globally, but this could rise to as many as 6 billion by 2050.
To meet the growing demand, more energy storage and alternative cooling systems, such as desiccant cooling, are required.
3D printing could also make heat exchangers – a crucial component of air conditioners – more efficient.