What is the New Regulation if the Indian Government Forbids You from Lowering the Air Conditioners Temperature Below 20°C?
Indian Government Proposes Ban on Setting Air Conditioners’ Temperature Below 20°C to Save Power
In a Move to Curb Energy Use, Indian Government Targets Air Conditioners Set Below 20°C
If the rule is implemented you will not be allowed to lower your air conditioners temperature below 20° Celsius even in extremely hot weather. A new regulation that will restrict how cold your air conditioner can get is being planned by the Indian government. According to Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar the decision was made as part of a broader initiative to manage India’s growing energy demand and conserve electricity.
Air conditioners in hotels and automobiles will also be subject to this new setting.
A new clause pertaining to air conditioning standards will soon be put into effect. We won’t be able to cool below 20°C or warm above 28°C because the temperature standardization for air conditioners will be set between 20°C and 28°C. At a Delhi event Khattar declared This is a first-of-its-kind experiment aiming to standardize temperature settings.
Why is the Center Seeking Standardized AC Temperatures?
This action was primarily taken to cut down on electricity use particularly during the summer when demand is at its highest. The air conditioners in many houses and buildings operate at extremely low temperatures sometimes as low as 16°C. This increases the strain on the electrical grid.
According to Pankaj Agarwal a senior official in the ministry of power housing and urban affairs air conditioners use about 50 gigawatts of electricity or one-fifth of the nation’s maximum power load.
According to studies energy consumption decreases by 6% for every degree Celsius that the AC temperature rises. “That means we can save about 3 gigawatts of power during peak times if everyone sets their ACs just 1 degree higher” Agarwal was quoted by Bloomberg as saying.
About 100 million air conditioners are in India and another 15 million are added annually. Small adjustments can result in significant savings when considering these figures.
According to a University of California Berkeley study quoted by Bloomberg, stricter energy regulations for air conditioners could reduce peak demand by up to 60 gigawatts by 2035 avoiding the need to invest RS 7. 5 trillion ($88 billion) in new power plants and grid infrastructure.
Contending with Heat Waves and Blackouts
Due to the high demand during heat waves power outages are one of the main problems India faces in the summer.
Indeed last summer the country’s power consumption reached a record 250 gigawatts and this year it may reach 270 gigawatts. Heavy May rains have so far reduced demand but as heatwaves return in June usage has increased once more. Demand reached its highest point of the year on Monday reaching almost 241 gigawatts.
According to Khattar we are fully prepared to meet the peak requirement even if it reaches the estimated 270 gigawatts.
Standardizing the AC temperature will reduce the strain on the grid during these periods and reduce the likelihood of power outages.
Read More : Rajasthan is Currently on Red Alert for a Heatwave: What about Delhi?
Stimulating Storage and Green Energy
The government is trying to increase its use of renewable energy in addition to enforcing energy-saving regulations for air conditioners.
The Center will invite companies to build battery storage systems with a total capacity of 30 gigawatt-hours, Minister Khattar stated. In order to reduce the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels these batteries will aid in storing wind and solar energy. To entice businesses the government intends to provide subsidies totaling ₹5400 crore. He stated that the project’s tenders would be released in three months.
We’re now on WhatsApp. Click to join.
Like this post?
Register at One World News to never miss out on videos, celeb interviews, and best reads.
