Hot Cars | Green Energy News

February 24, 2002 – Vol.6 No.48

HOT CARS.

Yes, it's true. Running the air conditioner your car gobbles up fuel. Air conditioners cooling cars in the summer, and drying the air for more effective defrosting in the cooler months, can reduce fuel efficiency from 20 percent up to 50 percent in high-efficiency cars, according to the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). In North America 80 percent of cars use air conditioners, with some drivers keeping it switched on 70 percent of the time.

One way to reduce the demand on the air conditioner is to keep the interior of a car from getting hot. Guardian Industries is now offering its SilverGuard (tm) infrared reflective auto glass that keeps more than 50 percent of solar energy from entering the car. The glass also blocks 95 percent of ultraviolet radiation which can damage skin as well as the interior of your car. Visit Guardian at http://www.guardian.com/ .