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By coincidence I was walking around Paris today in 30+ degree heat. It was only really bearable in the shade, which the city has a lot of thanks to a good amoun

By coincidence I was walking around Paris today in 30+ degree heat. It was only really bearable in the shade, which the city has a lot of thanks to a good amount of trees lining the sidewalks. It was quite pleasant until we passed a convenience store and the heat and humidity of that part of the street immediately rose to oppressive levels. This was because an air conditioner for the store was venting into the street. The effect is stark and incontrovertible. There is the heat being removed plus some heat from the compressor and fan. Everyone in public and private spaces will be better off if we reduce AC usage as much as possible in favor of other solutions

mikhailfranco 3y ago
It's not (just) the a/c in the store, it also has huge refrigeration units. In Asia, 7-Eleven is famous for its chilled air, but also has the walls covered with refrigerators for cool drinks, and there may be freezers for meat, seafood and ice cream.
6502nerdface 3y ago
In Las Vegas they solve this by blowing cold air onto the sidewalk through an always-open door, thereby cooling passersby, and perhaps enticing a few to enter for a game of slots.
- alistairSH 3y ago
  That doesn’t really solve the problem. They’re just dumping the waste heat on the back of the building where tourists aren’t walking. And producing more of that waste heat because they’re trying to condition a leakier building.
  - mertd 3y ago
    99% sure the parent post is sarcastic
    - wavemode 3y ago
      No, I've personally witnessed this practice. Wide open doors pouring out cold air on a sweltering day really gets people to stop and shop.
      - tnel77 3y ago
        They meant that the person acting like that was the solution was the sarcastic part. Everyone is in agreement that that’s what they do in Vegas.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
baud147258 3y ago
Living near Paris, it annoys me whenever I look through my window and see the exit pipes of mobile AC units (like this one https://www.emoqui.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/climatiseur-mobile-2.jpg https://www.emoqui.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/climatiseur...) running through the open windows of the opposite flat.
- SirMaster 3y ago
  It annoys me whenever I see a single hose AC unit period. It just makes no sense to me. First, you are now pumping air from inside the building to outside. You aren't creating a vacuum inside, so all that means is somewhere else in the building the air is being replaced from the only place it can... from outside... Second, the air you are pumping outside contains some of the air from the inside space that you just spent electricity cooling... I use a mobile AC unit like this because it's really the only type of unit that will work in my apartment, but I use a dual hose unit. The unit has 2 air loops. Air from the room is drawn in from the back of the unit, heat is absorbed by the heatsink, and then cool air is blown out the front of the unit into the room. Then to dissipate the absorbed heat as well as the heat from the electricity being consumed, air from outside is sucked in through 1 hose, runs through the other heatsink, and then is expelled back outside again from the other hose. It just makes so much more sense, and if you can stick 1 hose in your window, it's really not that hard to stick 2.
  - londons_explore 3y ago
    Worthwhile noting that most single hose AC units can usually be converted into double-hose with some cardboard, hose, and a lot of duct tape. It's worth doing too - you'll normally get almost the double the cooling effect from a double hose unit of the same wattage as a single hose one, just due to the fact you aren't wasting coolness out of the window. If you do this, note that it's important to use extra large and short (insulated) hoses, simply because the blower fans in your unit aren't designed for so many yards of hose.
  - tormeh 3y ago
    Unfortunately dual-hose ACs are not widely available. I just couldn’t find any when I was in the market. It’s single-hose only in my experience. Why this is I don’t understand. Had to buy one and try it to finally conclude that I was sane and society was crazy.
phendrenad2 3y ago
In Paris small shops like that typically don't have a vent on the roof, so they need to vent heat to the street at pedestrian level. Easily solved, if people cared.
- Arn_Thor 3y ago
  Venting up helps a little for the immediate surroundings but it adds to a layer of heat oppressing the city.
  - phendrenad2 3y ago
    You're right, and now I realize that I missed the point of the comment I responded to.

mikhailfranco 3y ago

It's not (just) the a/c in the store, it also has huge refrigeration units. In Asia, 7-Eleven is famous for its chilled air, but also has the walls covered with refrigerators for cool drinks, and there may be freezers for meat, seafood and ice cream.

6502nerdface 3y ago

In Las Vegas they solve this by blowing cold air onto the sidewalk through an always-open door, thereby cooling passersby, and perhaps enticing a few to enter for a game of slots.

alistairSH 3y ago
That doesn’t really solve the problem. They’re just dumping the waste heat on the back of the building where tourists aren’t walking. And producing more of that waste heat because they’re trying to condition a leakier building.
- mertd 3y ago
  99% sure the parent post is sarcastic
  - wavemode 3y ago
    No, I've personally witnessed this practice. Wide open doors pouring out cold air on a sweltering day really gets people to stop and shop.
    - tnel77 3y ago
      They meant that the person acting like that was the solution was the sarcastic part. Everyone is in agreement that that’s what they do in Vegas.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

baud147258 3y ago

Living near Paris, it annoys me whenever I look through my window and see the exit pipes of mobile AC units (like this one https://www.emoqui.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/climatiseur-mobile-2.jpg https://www.emoqui.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/climatiseur...) running through the open windows of the opposite flat.

SirMaster 3y ago
It annoys me whenever I see a single hose AC unit period. It just makes no sense to me. First, you are now pumping air from inside the building to outside. You aren't creating a vacuum inside, so all that means is somewhere else in the building the air is being replaced from the only place it can... from outside... Second, the air you are pumping outside contains some of the air from the inside space that you just spent electricity cooling... I use a mobile AC unit like this because it's really the only type of unit that will work in my apartment, but I use a dual hose unit. The unit has 2 air loops. Air from the room is drawn in from the back of the unit, heat is absorbed by the heatsink, and then cool air is blown out the front of the unit into the room. Then to dissipate the absorbed heat as well as the heat from the electricity being consumed, air from outside is sucked in through 1 hose, runs through the other heatsink, and then is expelled back outside again from the other hose. It just makes so much more sense, and if you can stick 1 hose in your window, it's really not that hard to stick 2.
- londons_explore 3y ago
  Worthwhile noting that most single hose AC units can usually be converted into double-hose with some cardboard, hose, and a lot of duct tape. It's worth doing too - you'll normally get almost the double the cooling effect from a double hose unit of the same wattage as a single hose one, just due to the fact you aren't wasting coolness out of the window. If you do this, note that it's important to use extra large and short (insulated) hoses, simply because the blower fans in your unit aren't designed for so many yards of hose.
- tormeh 3y ago
  Unfortunately dual-hose ACs are not widely available. I just couldn’t find any when I was in the market. It’s single-hose only in my experience. Why this is I don’t understand. Had to buy one and try it to finally conclude that I was sane and society was crazy.

phendrenad2 3y ago

In Paris small shops like that typically don't have a vent on the roof, so they need to vent heat to the street at pedestrian level. Easily solved, if people cared.

Arn_Thor 3y ago
Venting up helps a little for the immediate surroundings but it adds to a layer of heat oppressing the city.
- phendrenad2 3y ago
  You're right, and now I realize that I missed the point of the comment I responded to.