That one heatwave week in Phoenix turned me into a climate action believer

I manage a small apartment complex here in Phoenix and last July we had a stretch where temps hit 118 for five days straight. The AC units in three of our buildings just couldn't keep up, we had tenants sleeping in their cars with the AC running just to get through the night. My maintenance guy and I were changing out condenser fans at midnight because that was the only time it was safe to be on the roof. The electric bill for the complex that month was $8,400, almost triple our normal summer average. One tenant told me she was running her portable AC unit 22 hours a day and still couldn't get her bedroom below 85 degrees. That week made me realize that we're not talking about some distant problem, it's already here and hitting people who can't afford to move. The complex owners are now looking at getting solar panels and better insulation for next summer. Has anyone else had a climate moment like that where you just couldn't ignore it anymore?

3 comments

3 Comments

skyler_johnson3222d ago

Totally agree that 118 for five days straight is insane. Makes you wonder how many of those portable AC units are actually working at all when it's that hot, or if they're just making people feel like they're fighting a losing battle, you know?

the_leo22d ago

Man, that’s EXACTLY the nightmare. Feels like you’re just throwing money at the heat.

iris_thomas8522d ago

Wait, has anyone looked into how much that 118 degree heat is actually affecting the AC units themselves? I heard extreme heat can cause the condenser coils to fail way faster, so it's not just about high bills, you're replacing parts every year too.