New Delhi: In a bid to cut down energy consumption in one of the most difficult and energy-intensive segments of electrical appliances — air conditioners — the government is working to standardise the default temperature to limit it to a range of 20-28 degrees Celsius. This means that the minimum temperature at which consumers will be able to operate their ACs will be 20 degrees Celsius. The government has tasked the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) with preparing a framework for the same, said Union Minister for Power Manohar Lal Khattar during a press interaction on June 10. The move is in line with India’s goal of doubling the rate of energy efficiency by 2030, as was committed during the G20 Summit in September 2023.
BEE, which comes under the Ministry of Power, is tasked with developing processes, equipment and devices to reduce the energy intensity of the economy.
Khattar said during a press conference that the Government is working on a framework to standardise the default temperatures of air conditioners, including those in automobiles, in the range of 20 to 28 degrees Celsius. He said that the government is in talks with appliance makers and states on the subject to standardise AC temperatures. “Consultations are going on and once it’s over, guidelines will be finalised accordingly. Some states have requested to consider the humidity they have while making the guidelines,” Khattar said without sharing further details.
On being asked if ACs in automobiles will also have such standardised temperatures, the minister said the government is in consultation with automakers as well. Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal said the move is aimed at improving energy efficiency of the country. “Reduction of even 1 degree helps in saving 6 percent of energy. There are crores of ACs in the country and every year new ones are getting inducted. So you can imagine the savings,” he said.
With temperatures touching new records every summer in India, the use of air conditioners for cooling is on the rise. In a report released this year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said that even though less than 20 percent of households in the country are equipped with an air conditioner, the contribution of cooling to total peak load is estimated at 60 GW in 2024, as sales reached a new record of 14 million AC units in 2024, up 27 percent than in 2023. By 2030, the agency expects cooling equipment to contribute one-third to the peak electricity load in India, potentially reaching 140 GW.
(PSU Watch– India's Business News centre that places the spotlight on PSUs, Bureaucracy, Defence and Public Policy is now on Google News. Click here to follow. Also, join PSU Watch Channel in your Telegram. You may also follow us on Twitter here and stay updated.)