Airbitat's Compact Cooler promises 'deeply cooled' energy-efficient AC

You might not think of your air conditioner (AC) as contributing to climate change, but typical AC units use quite a bit of power, which leads to higher greenhouse gas emissions. In a vicious global warming cycle, as the planet gets hotter, more people will turn to air conditioning. So, companies like Airbitat are working on more efficient cooling methods, like the Airbitat Compact Cooler, which just won a CES 2020 Climate Change Innovator Award.

According to the company, the Compact Cooler reduces electricity use by up to 80 percent compared to AC units of similar capacity. Supposedly, it delivers 50 percent more effective cooling than conventional evaporative coolers. The secret is in the Compact Cooler's Reevac Deep Cooling Technology, which uses cold water as a natural refrigerant. The cold water reservoir removes heat from the air stream. The system then passes the cool air through a high performance evaporator to ensure that it's "deeply cooled."

The unit, which stands about four feet tall and less than two feet wide, promises industrial-strength cooling without compressors or chemical refrigerants like Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). And for convenience, it comes with touch-controls that allow users to set timers, oscillation preferences and wind speed.

The Compact Cooler is making its debut at CES 2020, but Airbitat hasn't said when it will be ready for consumers.