Explained: Global warming pushing billions to buy air conditioners. Here’s how that’s adding to climate change

Rising temperatures, heat waves, droughts and forest fires have all become a reality. With climate change steadily affecting the Earth's temperatures, the need to stay cool has become more pressing.As per a recent report, to combat the heat, billions of people are now opting for cheap, pocket-friendly air conditioners that are further adding to the rising temperatures.

In tropical countries,the rising temperatures have increasingly begun pushing normal summer temperatures into dangerous territory, and in temperate countries, heat waves that were previously unimaginable are becoming more common.

How are people dealing with the heat?

Add WION as a Preferred Source

According to a report by Sustainable Energy for All, to deal with the rising temperatures, approximately 2.4 billion rural and urban poor individuals are on the verge of purchasing the most affordable cooling appliance available to them, regardless of its efficiency.

The report states that while the mass adoption of inexpensive air conditioners may serve as a quick solution to combat the effects of a hotter climate, it also poses complications for the global energy transition.

How air conditioners are landing us in 'hot soup'

In a special report released in 2018, the International Energy Agency (IEA) had warned that cooling would be "one of the leading contributors to global electricity demand over the next three decades".The IEA estimates that approximately 10 new air conditioners will be sold every second between now and 2050.

The increased use of air conditioning puts additional strain on local power supplies and undermines efforts to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.

How much energy are air conditioners consuming?

Currently, space cooling—which includes fans, dehumidifiers, and air conditioners—consumes over 2,000 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity annually. To put this into perspective, that is two and a half times the total electricity used across Africa. As per the IEA, thisaccounts for around 10 per cent of global electricity consumption.

Bloomberg reports that based on existing policies and targets, this demand is projected to surge more than three times, to 6,200 TWh by 2050, with nearly 70 per cent of the increase attributed to residential air conditioning units.

In certain regions, such as parts of the US and the Middle East, space cooling already surpasses two-thirds of peak electricity demand on hot days. For instance, in Saudi Arabia, air conditioning alone accounts for 70 per cent of the country's total annual electricity demand.

What isthe expected energy consumption of air conditioners in the future?

By 2050, space cooling is expected to overtake appliances as the largest consumer of electricity in buildings worldwide. To fulfil this demand, an additional capacity of 2,500 gigawatts would be required, which is equivalent to the current combined energy generation capacity of the United States, Europe, and India, according to the IEA.

The report predicts that countries with anticipated significant growth in cooling demand, particularly India, China, and Indonesia, would need to invest in substantial and expensive peak power capacity to meet the projected cooling needs.

But how are ACs contributing to rising temperatures?

It is all about the efficiency of cooling appliances.Often, consumers prioritise affordability over energy efficiency when purchasing new air conditioners.

As per the IEA,the average air conditioner sold in 2018 was only half as efficient as the typical appliance and only one-third as efficient as the best technology on the market.

What can countries do to promote energy-efficient air conditioners?

According to the IEA, countries could reward the purchase of energy-efficient cooling devices. As per the agency, implementing policies that mandate or incentivise the purchase of more efficient air conditioning units could reduce energy demand by 45 per cent and also lower investment and operational costs for the electricity network by $3 trillion.

Would that be enough?

Sadly, no. Even under an optimistic scenario that assumes the widespread adoption of more efficient cooling technology, the projected energy demand is likely to exceed the IEA's estimates for global warming by no more than 2 degrees Celsius.

Research conducted by the Centre for Sustainable Cooling at the University of Birmingham suggests that if everyone had access to the necessary cooling, including refrigerators for food and medicine, as well as air conditioners in cars and homes, the associated energy demand would be three times higher than the IEA's estimates by 2030.

However, according to a report by Sustainable Energy for All, an estimated 1.2 billion people living in rural and urban poor communities still lackaccess to cooling, including refrigeration and air conditioning.

How many ACs would the world require to cool the entire human population?

To meet the growing cooling needs, the Centre for Sustainable Cooling estimates that the world would require an additional 14 billion cooling devices by 2050. This is nearly four times the current number of 3.6 billion devices.

Furthermore, the volume of electricity required to power all these cooling devices, as estimated by the Centre, would amount to more than 80 per cent of the IEA's projected renewable capacity for 2050. In the worst-case scenario where new technologies for improving appliance efficiency are not adopted, this figure could surpass 100 per cent.

The report warns that even with improving AC efficiency, if renewable energy capacity does not continue to expand, the impact of millions more air conditioners would be far more significant. By 2030, it could result in over 2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year, surpassing the entire emissions of the European Union in 2021.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.