Aerogels could be the key to efficient air conditioning technology – Interesting Engineering

There's no doubt that regulating temperatures is an important priority for all our homes. After all, can you imagine a hot summer day without air conditioning? 
In order to meet these cooling demands, a lot of electricity is required making it a very energy-intensive process. But could there be a better alternative? 
Matt Ferrell, from the YouTube show Undecided, shares the latest breakthrough in cooling. 
"A team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has an idea: stack the same cooling techniques we've been using for thousands of years by harnessing the power of aerogel. No power, no emissions…no problem?" said Ferrell in his video description. 
This development could come at no better time as the global number of air conditioning units is expected to triple by 2050. The International Energy Agency also reported that last year, in particular, cooling demand accounted for 16 percent of all energy use in buildings worldwide. 
Needless to say, that's a significant amount, and it's bound to take a toll on the environment. 
So does MIT have a solution that could meet our cooling woes? What is this new innovation, and how does it make use of aerogels? If it's so efficient, why hasn't it already replaced current air conditioning technology? 
Ferrell answers all these questions and more in his latest video.
Propulsion technology has matured considerably, culminating in the New Space Age today.

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