“Here, we don’t care about the energy so much – we just need to achieve the right thermal conditions indoors,”
I'm pretty sure hospital directors in Puerto Rico thought something similar. Diesel would always be there for them, sadly in many cases it wasn't.
The optimal ambient operating temperature for a human body in a low activity state is about 20C-24C. Hotter than that, the body has to redirect resources to cool the body, impairing higher cognitive functions.
I believe, likely because where I live, that access to optimal temperature is a human right, like healthcare. As a civilization we should strive for every human to have access to optimal temperatures, specially as the globe warms.
However, that human requirement doesn't make the problem any less difficult. Removing heat has an energy cost. If all that energy was provided by the sun, then it wouldn't matter for emissions but it would matter for cost and general principles of sustainability. The energy use must be reduced as close as theoretical limit using architecture, planing, AI and more efficient powered and passive cooling technologies.
Indoor climate control is not just a matter of luxury. It is a necessity to maximize the human potential. We must design our society to both not emit and to provide the optimal environment for humans. That's the challenge.