The race to cool buildings with less electricity

America's answer to hotter summers has overwhelmingly been more air conditioning, and engineers are now looking for ways to keep people cool without driving up electricity demand.

Why it matters: The need for cooling is surging. The issue isn't just how to generate more electricity — it's how to use less of it and ease demand when grids are most strained.



Between the lines: A July study finds that keeping buildings cool without relying solely on AC will be critical for adapting to climate change.AC is already nearly ubiquitous in the U.S., but that doesn't mean its electricity consumption has peaked.
"The market is saturated, but the use of air conditioning or the energy consumption for air conditioning will increase because of the overheating," Mat Santamouris, a University of New South Wales professor and the study's lead author, tells Axios.

Read More: https://www.axios.com/2026/08/24/cooling-buildings-electricity-demand