Ain Shams Researcher Leads COE/E-Funded Binational Study on Smart Air Conditioning Solutions Amid Rising Energy Demands

As Egypt faces rising energy demands and extreme heat waves, Dr. Asmaa Ramadan of Ain Shams University is leading innovative research to improve domestic air conditioning systems. Recently granted security clearance on her project, funded through the USAID Center of Excellence for Energy (COE/E), she aims to develop intelligent cooling solutions that could significantly reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

“We have many challenges concerning energy in Egypt, especially the rise in temperature, the extreme heat waves during summer, urbanization, and population increase,” says Ramadan, an assistant professor of mechanical power engineering. “All of these factors lead to a higher demand for energy.”

The urgency of her work is highlighted by recent developments in Egypt’s power infrastructure. “Last year was the first time we experienced scheduled power outages,” she explains. “That was a real problem because we had to give up electricity for one to three hours during the day, distributed across different areas. This happened exactly during the highest heat wave we have experienced.”

Dr. Ramadan’s research proposal was one of nine selected from 32 submissions in the first round of the COE/E Joint Binational Research Program. She is the Principal Investigator (PI) on the project, collaborating with Arizona State University (ASU) co-PI Dr. Patrick Phelan, a mechanical and aerospace engineering professor and associate dean of graduate programs at ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. The study, titled Advanced Dynamic Control of Air Conditioners to Reduce Energy Consumption and GHG Emissions, focuses on developing dynamic modeling for domestic air conditioning systems. The initiative represents a significant departure from conventional approaches to energy efficiency.

“The point is to model and control this system in a smarter way to reduce energy consumption,” believes Dr. Ramadan. “Our system should work at the least energy consumption under all conditions. What’s available in the market today is very conventional domestic air conditioning systems and others with inverters or speed modulation. That’s not the core of energy efficiency.”

In Dr. Ramadan’s opinion, the project stands to benefit a great deal from the binational collaboration with ASU, particularly through the expertise of Professor Phelan. “Conducting binational research opens you up to new possibilities and technologies,” she says. “They prefer to work on the theoretical part and modeling, while we focus on the experimental part because we need to build the capacities of our people and enhance our laboratories. We are very lucky to work with Dr. Phelan as he is one of the top researchers in this area.”

Beyond technical innovation, Dr. Ramadan emphasizes the broader implications of her research. “We’re addressing many energy problems, including high energy consumption of domestic air conditioning and increasing energy bills,” she explains. “When you reduce the electricity bill and the impact on the environment, you’re creating a sustainable industry. It’s not only about how much industries can gain or how many devices companies can sell.”

The Center of Excellence for Energy plays a crucial role in facilitating such research initiatives. “The Center is targeting the same goals as the United Nations’ SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals),” she points out. Each research project must have an industrial partner. Fresh Group, the industrial partner on this research, is a well-established domestic home appliance manufacturer operating 16 factories in Egypt. “They produce a wide range of appliances, including air conditioners. We have other industrial partners like Toshiba, Al Arabi Group, and Redcon for construction. These big companies would not have been encouraged to participate unless they saw the potential of the research,” she states.

As she looks to the future, Dr. Ramadan envisions the long-term impact of COE/E beyond the current five-year grant period. “I foresee this progress happening not just for the five years of cooperation between the Center and USAID,” she says. “I expect to see this headway continue, with industry involved in our university research, providing financial and technical support.”