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One thing's for sure, today's air-conditioning is one of the most energy-wasteful indulgences among electrical appliances. Growing up around Tampa, as a native
by danelectro 12y ago
One thing's for sure, today's air-conditioning is one of the most energy-wasteful indulgences among electrical appliances.
Growing up around Tampa, as a native in the old days not
only did very few residences have A/C, but most businesses
did not either.
Mainly just banks and supermarkets.
Most people were from up north anyway, and among them there
were two interesting extremes.
"The Adaptable" good life lover. They retired or moved to
Florida because they wanted the clean air, slower pace, and
natural beauty of the sub-tropical resort environment. They
let the fresh air in all the time, and only complained
slightly when there was a heat wave and they had to use
window or ceiling fans around-the-clock.
They weren't about to consider air-conditioning though since
they had worked all their life for the resort atmosphere to
begin with and had strong desires to get what they were
paying for.
"The Snowbird" migratory variety. Can not conceive of
adapting to the sub-tropical environment very much, so
they only spend winters that far south, generally while
it is freezing up north.
They didn't need A/C either since they weren't going to be
there in the summer.
Kids love A/C though. We would plan our bike routes to
include stops for rest at the buildings having A/C, where
they had lobbies for us to gather with the retired people
to cool off before heading back out.
Even as kids we knew Houston was the most air-conditioned
city in the world at the time, then when the Astrodome was
built it just emphasized so much the excesses that oil money
can make possible.
Anyway, after being in Houston now for over a dozen years
without A/C, I can't complain since I've adapted OK myself.
For me it's a no-brainer, I simply can't afford waste,
especially wasting overpriced energy.
Even Houston natives sometimes have an incredulous reaction
and think I must be suffering, especially on 100 degreeF days like this.
So more to satisfy them than myself, I invented a solar
A/C where "the hotter it gets the cooler it gets" would be
my trade or service mark.
Don't expect to be building a prototype any time soon, with
other inventions more pressing, but it's going to be a good
one when the situation is right.