Cold play: How innovators are trying to help us beat the heat without boiling the planet

Toronto Star

4 days ago

For millions of Canadians, the soundtrack to summer isn't the latest beach-friendly banger. It's the hum of air-conditioning. According to Statistics Canada, 83 per cent of Ontario households now use AC to ride out the province's increasingly ferocious heatwaves. But a sweat-free home comes at a price — and we're not just referring to the hefty hydro bill. Together, AC and refrigeration account for around 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. That figure is expected to rise sharply in the coming years.
In Canada, which is warming twice as fast as the global average, new buildings may eventually use more energy for cooling than heating. 'That's a big shift in what you would typically expect in a climate like Toronto's,' says David MacMillan, a manager in the city's Environment and Climate Division.