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Assessing disparities in air conditioning operation across Southern California
Diego Ramos Aguilera1, Yishi Wang1, Lu Zhang2
1Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Research Square
|July 10, 2026
Summary
Smart-meter data reveals how household cooling behaviors, including air conditioning (AC) use, vary with weather, income, and housing type. Findings highlight cooling disparities and the need for equitable heat adaptation strategies.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Public Health
- Energy Research
Background:
- Residential air conditioning (AC) is crucial for heat adaptation, but its usage patterns and equity implications are not fully understood.
- Traditional measures like AC ownership do not capture the nuances of cooling behavior and adaptive capacity.
- Southern California's diverse climate zones present a unique setting to study cooling disparities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the association between residential AC operation and meteorological, socioeconomic, and housing factors in Southern California.
- To develop novel metrics for AC operation (duration and intensity) to better assess adaptive capacity to heat.
- To identify potential cooling gaps and their relationship with income disparities and vulnerable populations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized smart-meter data from 140,000 households across different climate zones.
- Quantified AC operation using daily duration and intensity metrics.
- Normalized cooling metrics by heat exposure and dwelling size to assess cooling gaps.
Main Results:
- Socioeconomic status and dwelling characteristics significantly influence AC use likelihood, duration, and electricity consumption.
- Cooling behaviors varied between daytime and nighttime operations.
- Identified cooling gaps linked to income disparities and the presence of vulnerable populations.
Conclusions:
- Cooling behaviors are shaped by socioeconomic and dwelling factors, leading to potential inequities in heat adaptation.
- Novel AC operation metrics provide deeper insights than simple ownership data.
- Equity-oriented strategies are essential to reduce cooling costs and mitigate heat-related health risks.
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