Global energy demand for air conditioners is expected to triple by 2050, requiring an urgent need for policy action to improve cooling efficiency, according to a new analysis released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on Tuesday.
The growing use of air conditioners in homes and offices around the world will be one of the drivers of global power demand over the next 30 years, the agency's press release said.
'A new IEA report - The Future of Cooling - shows that without new efficiency standards the world will be facing a 'cold crunch' from the growth in cooling demand in coming decades,' the IEA noted.
According to the agency, less than a third of global households own an air conditioner. 'In countries such as the United States and Japan, more than 90 percent of households have air conditioning, compared to just 8 percent of the 2.8 billion people living in the hottest parts of the world.'
The agency said the biggest increase in the use of air conditioners was observed in hot countries like India where the share of air conditioning in peak electricity load could reach 45 percent in 2050, up from 10 percent today unless action is taken.
'This will require large investments in new power plants to meet peak power demand at night, which cannot be met with solar PV technology,' the agency said.
According to IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol, setting higher energy standards for cooling is 'one of the easiest steps' governments can take to reduce the need for new power plants, and allow them at the same time to cut emissions and reduce costs.
'In an efficient cooling scenario, which is compatible with the goals of the Paris Agreement, the IEA finds that through stringent minimum energy performance standards and other measures such as labeling, the average energy efficiency of the stock of ACs worldwide could more than double between now and 2050,' the agency said.
'This would greatly reduce new electricity infrastructure to meet rising demand,' it added.
Making cooling more efficient would also provide multiple benefits, making it more affordable, more secure, and more sustainable, and saving as much as $2.9 trillion in investment, fuel and operating costs, according to the IEA.
The report predicts the global stock of air conditioners in buildings to grow to 5.6 billion by 2050, up from 1.6 billion today - which amounts to 10 new air conditioners sold every second for the next 30 years.
'Using air conditioners and electric fans to stay cool already accounts for about a fifth of the total electricity used in buildings around the world - or 10 percent of all global electricity consumption today,' the agency said.
By Gulsen Cagatay
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr