Nigerian United States-based engineer and researcher, Michael Akinseloyin, has called for a strategic and efficient utilisation of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units in homes and industries in ways that ensure a consistent balance in energy and the environment.

The engineer made this known during the 2023 National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Annual Convention, held between March 22-26 in Kansas City, Missouri, where he received the Grad Brag Award.

Akinseloyin is a doctoral student at Kansas State University, United States. His work and research — through a combination of experimental work, simulation modelling, performance analysis, and system optimisation — explore sustainable energy integration in buildings, alternative cooling systems, electronics cooling and techno-economic assessments of alternative energy solutions.

At the NSBE Convention, the engineer stated that an innovative management of energy, environment, and climate is a critical factor for smart city infrastructure and for achieving thermal comfort and energy efficiency in buildings.

He noted that with the growing global concerns about energy consumption and environmental sustainability, industries and residential buildings, especially those in extreme hot and cold climatic regions, face a significant challenge in maintaining indoor thermal comfort while minimising energy consumption.

In light of this, he emphasised that new technologies that optimise energy and are dependent on climatic conditions are needed, adding that innovative ways of determining electricity consumption using artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques are equally needed.

Akinseloyin’s expert intervention is coming at a time when United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) published a report in July 2019 stating that the new standards, effective in 2023, require a seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) — a measure of a system’s cooling performance — of no less than 14 SEER for residential systems in the northern part of the United States and 15 SEER in the southern part of the United States, where cooling loads are a larger share of home energy use.

According to the EIA report, all new residential central air-conditioning and air-source heat pump systems sold in the United States will be required to meet new minimum energy efficiency standards. The most recent minimum energy efficiency standards for these equipment types went into effect in 2015, and for the first time, separate standards were set for cooling central air conditioners sold in the northern parts of the United States and those sold in the southern parts.

Referencing the implication of the United States EIA report, Akinseloyin noted that, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), by 2050, the world will see a threefold increase in air conditioner-related energy demand, equivalent to adding 10 new units per second over the next three decades.

Explaining how air conditioner-related energy demand is affecting the environment and the climate, the engineer cited a July 2022 report that reveals that the energy supply needed for artificial air-conditioning and cooling accounts for ten per cent of the global electricity use and nearly four per cent of the annual greenhouse gas emissions.

He warned that this worrying trend — capable of harming human health and the environment — is set to rise and should be tackled through innovative thermal technologies.

He highlighted the abuse and misuse of HVAC technologies, especially in high-income countries like the United States, where air-conditioner ownership is nearly 90 per cent, adding that unnecessary and excessive use contributes to climate challenges.

He stated that one of his ongoing research, seeks to analyse carbon dioxide emission in water-cooled centrifugal chillers with the aim of finding better alternatives to reducing emissions and figuring out innovative ways of improving designs of chillers.

In light of this, he advised that, while more innovative solutions are emerging in HVAC technologies, behavioural adjustments are germane in handling cooling-related energy problems. He further advised that strict adherence to a balanced energy-climate policy would help manufacturers and policymakers transition toward sustainable cooling thermal technologies.

Commenting on the NSBE Annual Convention, he said that the Grad Brag Award recognition will foster more collaboration with other scientists in the thermal engineering field and lead to solutions to more research questions.

Akinseloyin revealed that in five years, he hopes to leverage his research endeavours to influence policy and infrastructure design that supports affordable energy, while reiterating his belief that engineering should serve as a tool for innovation and a platform for positive societal change.