While Sardinia and the rest of Europe are experiencing record temperatures, using air conditioning correctly can make a difference in consumption. Regular maintenance, choosing energy-efficient models, proper installation and positioning of units, ensuring temperatures aren't excessively low, using a separate split system for each room, keeping doors and windows closed during operation, smart thermostats, paying attention to internal heat sources, and conducting a building's energy audit are some of the recommended measures. The guidelines, developed by ENEA and relaunched by the installers of Confartigianato Sardegna, aim to improve home comfort and keep energy bills low during the hottest months.
Indeed, it's well known that heat isn't a friend to energy bills, which have already skyrocketed due to the high energy prices that have persisted for several years. Furthermore, the soaring thermometer and the muggy heat are increasing the use of the more than 350,000 air conditioning systems installed in homes, shops, and businesses in Sardinia, which remain on for an average of about six hours a day.
According to the most recent data from the Research Office of Confartigianato Sardegna, 59.9% of properties on the island use a hot/cold air conditioning system (i.e., a single air conditioning system for summer and winter), compared to the Italian average of 48.8%. Within this percentage, 82.9% are fixed or portable heat pumps, 13.2% are air conditioners used only for cooling, and 3.9% are centralized systems.
The island is third in Italy for air conditioning systems , after Veneto and Sicily. In the hottest months, air conditioners are on for an average of 6 hours and 17 minutes per day ; they are on for about three hours in the afternoon, just over two hours at night, and about one hour in the morning. Centralized or independent air conditioning systems are on longer (7 hours and 11 minutes) than individual cooling-only units (6 hours and 7 minutes) or heating/cooling units (6 hours and one minute). Families with at least one elderly person turn their air conditioners on almost 30 minutes less than other families. In the afternoon, elderly people living alone (65 years and over) turn them on for about 20 minutes less than other families, while they turn them on less at night.
