---
title: "Crank Up the AC, Not Global Warming"
date: 2023-04-17T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/crank-up-the-ac-not-global-warming"
section: Articles
---
# Crank Up the AC, Not Global Warming

*April 17, 2023* — by [Maggie Haslam](/author/maggie-haslam)


> Engineers Advance Heating and Cooling Technology to Push for a Greener Future

*I Stock 1323569612 1920x1080 — Research at the University of Maryland's Center for Environmental Energy Engineering tackles the nuts and bolts of heating and cooling units to advance next-generation, carbon-free technology and improve efficiency.*

Ah, the sounds of summer: the soothing hum of the office HVAC system; the symphony of whirling window units adorning a high-rise apartment; the sigh of the freezer as you grab the last Popsicle.

On a sweltering day, what’s music to your ears can be misery for the planet. Air conditioning alone releases 1.95 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, according to a [study](https://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2022/nrel-shows-impact-of-controlling-humidity-on-greenhouse-gas-emissions.html) by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the problem is projected to worsen as populations grow and urbanize on a warming planet.

It doesn’t take an engineer to understand the math—but it might take one to find a solution. Ongoing research at the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Energy Engineering is revolutionizing the energy-guzzling inner workings of forced air that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions—like heat pumps, compressors, heat exchangers and refrigerants—making them smaller, lighter, more efficient and renewable.


*person wearing mask works in lab — Graduate engineering student Jangho Yang '24 works with emerging heating and cooling technology in the lab. Photo courtesy of the A. James Clark School of Engineering.*




**Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research)


**Tags:** [Climate Change](https://today.umd.edu/topic/climate-change), [Mechanical Engineering](https://today.umd.edu/topic/mechanical-engineering), [Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/research)


**Units:** [A. James Clark School of Engineering](https://today.umd.edu/topic/james-clark-school-engineering)