Most houses in Australia have air conditioning. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, three out of every four Australian households now have a refrigerated air conditioner or an evaporative cooler. During the summer months, Australians spend a collection $3.7 billion on air conditioning over the summer period according to Finder. Summer is the time that most Aussies maximise their air conditioning units with 63% using their air con over the warmer months, keeping their units running for an average of 6.3 hours a day.   As power costs continue to rise, it is possible we will start to see air conditioning usage stats start to drop as people look at alternative ways to keep their properties cool in the summer.    Blocking out the sun’s UV rays is a great way of helping to reduce the temperature inside your home so closing your blinds before the sun gets up is one of the best ways to do this. Don’t wait until the sun has warmed up your house before lowering the blinds – this will only trap the warm air inside and make it feel even warmer.   Once the sun sets, open the blinds and the windows and try to create a through-draft by opening another window or door on the opposite side of the room or the house.   A cold shower is a great way to cool yourself down, even if it won’t help to lower the temperature in your home. For many Australians, sleeping during the summer months can be tricky due to the heat so try taking a cold shower right before bed.   Of course, air conditioning is still the best way to keep your entire house cool and keeping the temperature set to around 24-25 degrees is the most economical way to use your air conditioning.   One place where the air conditioning is going to be turned down to the max this year is Qatar. With summer temperatures reaching an average of around 107 F (42 C), it is no surprise to learn that they have had to move the FIFA World Cup which is usually played during the summer months back to the end of the year when the temperature in Qatar should have dropped to around 90 F (32 C).

Keeping players and fans cool at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar

Whilst the temperatures in Qatar in November and December will be cooler than the summer months when the World Cup is traditionally held, it will still be extremely hot and concerns about the wellbeing of both players and fans were a primary factor in the move of dates.   This move was a controversial one. The World Cup will now come right in the middle of the domestic season for all of Europe’s major leagues, as well as other leagues from across the world, causing some major headaches for some of the leading club teams in the world.   Qatar is not considered a major footballing nation and it was a surprise when they were awarded host status. As hosts, they automatically qualify to compete in the tournament and as the world’s 51st ranked team, they are the lowest ranked team competing in the tournament.   In order to host the tournament, they have constructed eight state-of-the-art stadiums which will play host to 32 teams from around the world from 21 November to 18 December 2022.   These stadiums have been designed and developed to include air conditioning systems to help to keep players and fans cooler during matches.   The air conditioning system has been developed along with Qatar University, using solar energy to power fans that pull in outside air and cool it.   In an interview with FIFA.com, the spearhead behind the air conditioning project, Dr Saud Abdulaziz Abdul Ghani, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Qatar University and nicknamed “Dr Cool” said, “We are not just cooling the air, we’re cleaning it.   “We’re purifying the air for spectators. For example, people who have allergies won’t have problems inside our stadiums as we have the cleanest and purest air in there is.   “Pre-cooled air comes in through grills built into the stands and large nozzles alongside the pitch. Using the air circulation technique, cooled air is then drawn back, re-cooled, filtered and pushed out where it is needed.”   Air conditioning in sports stadiums is not a new concept. A number of stadiums in the USA that play host to NFL include air conditioning systems. The Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans is about 125 million square feet and is cooled by 9,000 tons of air conditioning.    The University of Phoenix Stadium takes enough power for 2,300 homes to keep fans cool during a game.    One thing that makes these stadiums slightly different is that they are indoor stadiums with the option to open the roof. The stadiums being used in Qatar are all open-air stadiums and only time will tell whether the air conditioning system is effective in keeping the players and fans cool during matches.   Some nations will be more prepared than others for the warm temperatures expected in Qatar. Tournament favourites Brazil who Betway Sports has at 6.00 to lift the trophy in Qatar are much more likely to be acclimatised to the warm weather than European nations such as France and England who are second and third favourites respectively.