This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: How protective is air conditioning in preventing deaths amid soaring temperatures and record heat levels? Yale researchers found that AC use cut the number of annual heat-related deaths by half in the U.S., saving more than 5,000 lives a year.
However, while AC is a highly effective heat adaptation tool, its protective effects level off once use passes a certain point. On days of extreme heat, risk levels tick up even with use. Previous studies have relied only on the number of air conditioning units owned, but this is the first nationwide study to assess how much actual air conditioning use avoids heat-related mortality.
Heat stress is the leading cause of weather-related deaths, and the number of people exposed to extreme heat is growing with climate change. The past three years have been the hottest on record. High temperatures are linked to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, cardiovascular, respiratory and renal diseases.
The study, published in Nature Health, examined 3,108 counties across the contiguous U.S. from 2010 to 2020 using Yale's fusionACS, a data science platform that merges U.S. household surveys with American Community Survey microdata. "Our dataset enabled us to relate AC use to mortality and temperature at a meaningful spatial scale," said study co-author Narasimha Rao, professor of energy systems. The scientists found that air conditioning reduced heat-attributable mortality by 57%.
The greatest number of deaths averted was concentrated in Florida and the Southwest and Gulf Coast regions. Cranking up the AC doesn't save additional lives. Instead, moderate use provides the most benefits.
Overuse of AC on days of moderate heat may explain the flattening of benefits, the authors said. Air conditioning use is also contingent on affordability. More than a quarter of households in the U.S. reported difficulty affording energy use.
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