• AggressivelyPassive@feddit.de
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    8 months ago

    In cities it actually does have an effect, especially in crowded ones. Millions of people in a relatively small area blasting AC “exhaust” out of their windows heat up the crammed air and in turn the buildings, streets, etc. which increases the heat island effect of cities.

    Granted, it’s not a huge effect, but it’s measurable. First source I could find: https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/08/30/fact-check-is-air-conditioning-making-cities-hotter

    • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
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      8 months ago

      see I’ve been wondering if a heat pump system could heat an oven hot enough to bake bread. use environmental heat to manufacture Wonder Bread or something.

      • NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de
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        8 months ago

        I don’t know the answer, but it this did work it would both make the outside of the oven super cold and be so slow to warm up that it would be pointless. Keep in mind that you have to get stuff in and out so air exchange is inevitable, every time you open the door you’d be reducing the heat substantially and it would take a long time to rise back up.

        Also my gut feeling is that any practical implementation wouldn’t be as energy efficient as you’d hope.

        • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
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          8 months ago

          The other part of the idea is use the heat pump to not only heat an oven to bake bread (or do some other industrial heating process) but have the other end cool some process that produces waste heat, such as a data center or something. Or air condition a warehouse.

      • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        I don’t see why it shouldn’t be able to. You might need concentric shells depending on the power of the heat pump.