Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident touts evaporative-cooler app and urges commission to 'think big' on climate work
Summary
Will Pierce, a Palm Springs resident and app developer, described his 'Evaporative Cooler Forecaster' used by more than 500 people in over 60 countries and asked the commission to support local climate-focused initiatives and prioritize equity for lower-income households.
Will Pierce, a local resident, used his allotted public comment time at the July 21 Sustainability Commission meeting to describe an app he developed—Evaporative Cooler Forecaster—that helps owners of evaporative coolers know when to switch between evaporative cooling and air conditioning to maximize energy and cost savings.
"I launched this app a bit over a year ago… It's now used by people in over 60 countries around the world… and over 500 users," Pierce said, adding that he recently introduced monetization and now has paying customers. He asked the commission to "think big" about supporting community-based and commercial efforts to promote energy-saving approaches and to consider equity impacts for lower-income households that are more likely to use evaporative coolers.
Pierce said usage patterns he’s seen suggest evaporative coolers are more common in mobile homes and lower-income households, and he urged commissioners to account for that in future outreach and program design. Commissioners thanked him and asked follow-up questions about usage rates; Pierce offered to return with additional details at the next meeting.
The commission did not take formal action on the comment but staff noted it for outreach and equity considerations as the commission refines its programs.
