alt Hacker NewsI don't get how so many large buildings in NYC and Beijing (two cities that I've personally visited) use independent little AC units like the PTAC or minisplit types. A couple per apartment, peppered over the outer walls. Engineers intuition says surely a large central unit would be more efficient and effective.
Is it because of personal ownership reasons? Counterintuitive physics? Heat dissipation limitations on the roof?
Can someone with more knowledge clue me in?
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I had the option to buy a “central” unit or several mini splits for my apartment. I chose several mini splits. The main reason is that they can fail independently, so I’m not stuck in an apartment that is hot everywhere.
But I think the main reason is that in places without central AC, people tend to want to incrementally upgrade. For example, you might get a mini split just for your bedroom, because that’s the room you require the most comfort during the hot days. Then when you start getting used to the comfort of the AC in the bedroom, you’ll want one in the living room. And so on.
There are no air ducts to move air between the units. They are old brick buildings and retrofitting central air you might as well tear down and rebuild a lot of the time.