This presentation was included as part of the International Conference on Energy Efficiency in Lighting and Domestic Appliances '2017. It provides an overview of wearable or portable products that can cool people directly through skin contact, or locally. It is intended to showcase types of products found on the market as of 2017. The author argues that more focus is needed on cooling people directly as a future energy efficiency strategy to mitigate demand for increasing air conditioning worldwide.

1. Cool People
Wearable and personal comfort products that will
contribute to an overall energy efficiency strategy
Jason Erwin, Borg & Co
Presented by Paulo Bertoldi
EEDAL ‘17, September 14, 2017

2. Today’s presentation
• Challenges
• Scope and objectives
• Energy savings and cost effectiveness
• Next steps
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3. Challenge 1: Dramatic and quick
reduction of global AC usage?
Reduce CO2
emissions to zero
by 2050 to reach
1.5°C target
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Global air cond.
consumption
could increase
10x by 2050

4. Challenge 2: Traditional EE
measures insufficient
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AC electric consumption,
despite
– Minimum energy
standards, labelling and
incentive programs
E.g., US, 1993-2005:
– 28 % eff. improvement
avg. res. AC unit
– 37 % increase avg. home
AC consumption

5. Challenge 3: Improve thermal
comfort in hotter world?
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• 41 % of occupants
dissatisfied with indoor
environment (US study)
However, there is hope!
• Personal environmental
control can greatly extend
comfortable indoor temperatures

6. Paper objectives: Are wearable
and personal cooling products a
potential solution?
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• What are wearable and
personal cooling products?
• What types of products?
• At what stage(s) of
development?
• Is there energy savings
potential?

7. Scope & Product Types (1/3)
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• 18 products
identified
– Cool people directly
through skin contact, or
nearby occupant
– Primarily indoor
commercial or
residential use
9
4
3
2
Apparel
Jewelry
Comfort
systems
Portable AC

8. Scope & Product Types (2/3)
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Wearables Personal comfort/portable
!

9. Scope & Product Types (3/3)
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• 5 products in market
• 13 in RD&D phase
• Active and
passive cooling
mechanisms used
– E.g., active = battery-
powered fans
– E.g., passive = fabric
design
!
Apparel examples

10. Energy savings potential?
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• 35 % HVAC savings by
expanding set-points
±4°F
• 10 % HVAC savings
per 1°C set-point
expansion
• 50 % HVAC energy
savings with personal
comfort systems

11. Cost effective?
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Limited data on price ranges, but
looks promising relative to costs
of new AC!
• $10-100s wearable or
personal comfort products
vs.
• $2,000-4,000: per ton of new
cooling installed (home AC)

12. However…
Wearable and personal
comfort products do not
directly save energy.
They enable savings.
Therefore…
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13. Next steps: Demonstration
projects needed!
• Calling leading EE
organisations!
• Demonstrations of:
– Energy savings ranges and
variation?
– Customer/occupant satisfaction?
– Durable products?
– Persistent savings?
– How cost effective?
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14. Thank you!
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• Questions?
• Jason Erwin,
Borg & Co,
jason@borgco.se