Multinational electronics conglomerate Samsung has designed an energy efficient air conditioning system with the aim of helping to alleviate the pressure placed on South Africa’s strained natural resources.

Since the recording of global temperatures began in 1951, the 17 warmest years were within the past 18 years. Natural resources are continually under pressure and the global temperature is rising. South Africa’s natural resources are strained as the main electricity grid needs coal and water to generate power.

One power station alone burns 50 000 t/d of coal, while a study showed that the average suburban resident uses up to 300 ℓ/d of water.

In an effort to be kinder to the planet and preserve natural resources, the South African National Standard (SANS) 10400-XA was established in 2011. This regulation dictates that the energy use of buildings needs to be considered by architects and builders.

In the past, harmful materials such as asbestos and lead paint were used, with no thought given to optimising design and structure for increased efficiency or reduced energy use. Essentially, this means that all homes and businesses that were subsequently designed and built needed to make use of innovative technology to be energy efficient.

With this in mind, Samsung designed air conditioner technology that not only keeps the room at a constant, comfortable temperature, but is light on electricity.

Samsung South Africa director of consumer electronics Mike van Lier says, “Samsung’s Wind-Free technology offers a highly energy efficient solution because not only does it ensure that the temperature is constant, the digital inverter eight-pole consumes only 32% of the energy used by conventional air conditioners.

“We also make the most of our own components and devices within Samsung, allowing us to keep up-to-date with the latest industry standards. Energy efficiency is no exception, which is why Samsung’s Wind-Free technology is the perfect solution for being kinder to the planet.”

Samsung’s Smart Home app can monitor not only the wind-free unit, but all compatible Samsung appliances, and allows users to control their systems from virtually anywhere.

“The app features include basic control and monitoring of power usage, temperature settings, fan speed and louver swing, as well as exclusive features such as Smart Installation and Smart Check.

“The Smart Installation feature automatically checks for installation faults to ensure the system is installed properly – keeping the office or home compliant – while the Smart Check feature detects and diagnoses problems with the system to provide quick and easy troubleshooting solutions.

“Samsung innovates today to create a better tomorrow, not only for businesses, but for residential areas too. As we innovate, we don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. “Every sector is different and has different requirements. We keep evolving, in every product category and in every region, trying to offer people the products and services that are just right for them. “

By combining wind-free technology as well as our future innovations with talented designers and architects, Samsung can assist in making future buildings and homes energy efficient,” concludes Van Lier.