We never talk about it.
Air conditioning is so fucking stupid.
Why is it hot inside? Well, the sun rises and slowly, its energy rays penetrate our walls. At some point, they go through and we feel them inside; the heat.
We know that wall thickness and material composition are the most efficient way to delay heat transfer from outside to inside. 0.3”/1.5 cm glass with outside temperature of 35°C/95°F? Almost instant. 6”/15 cm standard (wood frame, some insulation, plaster) exterior wall? A few hours. 2 feet/60 cm of insulated concrete or bricks? 12+ hours, if ever.
So, instead of building properly in hot regions, here in America we go with this “standard” 6” wall and use a machine that uses enormous amounts of energy, running hot outside while it blasts cold air inside, to cool down those thin ass, warm stupid stucco walls and ceilings.
This is the stupidest design ever.
Instead of using energy once, building a thick wall that will passively make things cool inside for decades, we choose to use energy every day to actively cool down a hot wall that will be replaced in 15 years.
We’re idiots.
I’m trying that thick wall thing because that sounds logical and low maintenance.
Forced cooled air is way too dumb and wasteful! It bothers me.