Summer heatwaves that have become more intense in India are causing temperatures to rise above 40 degrees Celsius. The temperature reached the level that the human body can't cool itself in the neighbouring Pakistani city of Jacobabad earlier this year.
As temperatures soar, so does the demand for ways to stay cool. India is expected to account for a third of all sales of air conditioners over the next decade, according to the International Energy Agency. Access to cooling is vital for health, economic and social development, as well as for the more than 1 billion people exposed to South Asia's extreme heat.
More greenhouse gas emitting air conditioners are accelerating global warming, because of the electricity-guzzling and greenhouse gas emitting air conditioners. Authorities and researchers are working with companies and consumers to make sure India's demand for cooling is met with more energy-efficient methods. These can range from choosing refrigerant gases less harmful to the environment to making cleaner technologies more affordable.
Climate change is causing longer, more intense heatwaves, according to Prima Madan, a consultant at the Natural Resources Defense Council. There is a need for air conditioning. The increased demand will further contribute to climate change, increase pollution and have adverse effects on public health if it is met with inefficient technologies, according to a report. Nine of 10 households in India don't have air conditioning, according to the NRDC, with fans and vapour-emitting coolers being more commonly used. For low-income families, securing a first air conditioner can have life-changing effects on sleep, productivity, and health.
More than a third of India s food still rots in the heat before it reaches consumers, as cold storage is also needed for vaccine and food supply chains.
According to Ben Hartley, a specialist in energy efficiency at the advocacy group Sustainable Energy for All, Cooling is no longer a luxury.
Some measures can reduce demand for energy-intensive solutions. Reflective paints on roofs help keep temperatures down in slums where residents don't have the chance of having an air conditioner. India has introduced energy conservation rules that can ensure more efficient buildings are built.
This will only go so far. India's Bureau of Energy Efficiency runs a program to rate appliances on their efficiency, from one to five stars. According to a study done in Delhi by Radhika Khosla, associate professor at Oxford University, only about a fifth of households use five-star air conditioners. Three-star devices are the most widely used.
Factors such as refrigerant gases and the refrigerant gases that are used in air conditioner ratings are a factor that determine air conditioner ratings. Propane has a lower global warming potential than more widely used gases, for example. The effectiveness of compressors, inverters and other parts can also vary widely. Khosla says that the difference between the best models in the market and the models that are being purchased by households is quite large.
The higher prices charged for five-star air conditioners makes these efficient models unaffordable for low and middle-income households. Brian Dean at Sustainable Energy for All says that some manufacturers maintain a price differential despite the fact that the more efficient appliances cost the same to produce as lower-rated versions.
Kamal Nandi, head of appliances at Indian conglomerate Godrej Boyce, said his five-star models sell at around 40,000$ $534, about 15 per cent more than three-star units. Nandi believes that the premium is a reflection of the investment that goes into designing more efficient models. He says you need to invest in cooling technologies. If the scale goes up for five stars, maybe you ll get better economies and your price will be better. India s government is aware of the environmental damage and cost-saving potential of more efficient products and has established a state-owned company to help upgrade equipment. Energy Efficiency Services Limited works with private sector businesses and local utilities to replace inefficient appliances with better ones. For example, EESL has already distributed millions of LED lightbulbs and energy-efficient fans to its partners.
Khosla says EESL has done good work in lighting, but she argues that the transition to more efficient air conditioners will be harder. She says that it's one of the most remarkable transitions to LED lighting in the world. They have not been as effective on air conditioning. The success in the area is critical. In 2018, the IEA warned that the growing use of air conditioners in homes and offices could be one of the main drivers of global electricity demand over the next three decades.
Without action, global energy demand from air conditioners could triple by the year 2050, requiring new electricity capacity that is equivalent to the current combined capacity of the US, the EU and Japan.
It also concluded that global growth in energy demand could be cut by the expansion of air conditioning, with co-ordinated action between governments and manufacturers on mandatory energy performance standards and efficiency improvements.