According to a NOAA report released last September, 2020 was the warmest summer ever in the Northern Hemisphere, surpassing 2019 and 2016. And because it was so warm, it was also likely one of the biggest years for energy use by air conditioners. More energy use means a larger carbon footprint, which means accelerated climate change. How can we mitigate this vicious cycle, protecting our own comfort and health while also safeguarding the environment?
The question is one that’s often on the mind of Simi Hoque, PhD, PE, associate professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering. Hoque’s work focuses on developing computational tools to model, evaluate, and predict the impact of climate change on energy and water use, land use, and transportation systems at an urban scale.
Hoque is especially interested in the way that low-income housing is designed to keep people to be comfortable and healthy inside their homes. Because houses in these areas need to be affordable, Hoque explains, public housing projects are often built with less durable and inefficient materials, which can make it more difficult to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature and can make them susceptible to mold, pests and other harmful contaminants.
But Hoque realizes that even buildings that are well designed now may not be able to keep up with the pace of climate change, so she is developing tools to analyze urban energy use and make recommendations.
“Here in Philadelphia there’s an enormous sort of population of people who are suffering because of the conditions of the houses they live in,” she says. “In addition to the health dangers of poor climate control and mold and pest infestations, there’s the stress of paying utility bills that are artificially high. There is a clear link in my mind that if you improve the standard of the buildings in which people live, you will improve their health and well-being.”