NEW DELHI: Soon all new air-conditioners (ACs) will come with a minimum temperature setting of 20 degrees centigrade (degrees C) instead of 16 or 18 degrees and a maximum of 28 degrees against 30 degrees at present, a move that can potentially result in savings of Rs 18,000-20,000 crore for consumers in three years once the mandate becomes effective.Describing it as a “uniqe experiment”, power minister Manohar Lal on Tuesday said the new mandate for AC makers will improve efficiency in cooling operations, mitigating the surge in power demand and electricity bills as summers get hotter.As and when the new norms are notified, the new mandate will apply to air-conditioners used across sectors — from domestic to commercial establishments such as office blocks, malls, hotels and movie theatres, which often run their units at the lowest setting.The ‘experiment’ appears to be inspired by similar moves in Italy and Japan. While Rome has fixed the lowest temperature setting for public buildings at 23 degrees C, Japan follows a fixed temperature of 27 degrees C.Government data indicate that every 1 degree C increase in temperature setting for cooling reduces power consumption by 6%. They also show that if 6 crore urban households and 12 lakh commercial establishments keep their AC setting between 22 and 24 degrees C, it will save 12-15 billion units of power annually and do away the need to build 4-5 coal-fired power plants and substantially reduce carbon emission.Industry bodies representing the manufacturers said the move will raise their R&D expenses but also push up demand for more efficient units, which usually cost more.Based on a 2018 Bureau of Energy Efficiency study, the government had in 2020 mandated a default setting of 24 degrees C for air-conditioners and suggested running the units at 26-27 degrees C, a temperature level it described as healthy.In October 2023, the International Energy Agency said India’s demand for electricity from household air-conditioners will increase significantly by 2050, potentially exceeding total power consumption in Africa. It also anticipated India will experience the highest energy demand growth globally over the next three decades, driven by rising incomes and a warming climate.GoThe minister also announced a Rs 5,400 crore VGF funding for 30 gigawatt of battery storage projects and extending the waiver of inter-state transmission charges for green power till June 28, 2028. These decisions are expected to spur investments of Rs 33,000 crore in the battery storage projects and prove to be a boon for Rs 1 lakh crore worth of green transmission projects underway.
