Will 1,200 crore ACs be responsible for global warming in the next 20 years?

New Delhi, September 16, 2021

Due to the rising temperature of the earth, the need for cooling devices like AC and fridge is increasing in the world. The cooling market has emerged as AC devices, once considered a luxury, are slowly becoming a necessity. The cooling system has become important for preserving medicines, vegetables, fruits and food. An estimated 500 million different types of devices are used around the world to keep homes and offices cool. Given the growing demand for AC devices, it is estimated that there will be 1,200 crore cooling devices in 20 years. This will emit billions of tons of carbon dioxide and harmful gases into the hydrofluorocarbon.

Hydrofluoro is many times more harmful to climate change than carbon dioxide. A recent United Nations report stated that emissions could be reduced by quality cooling devices that are environmentally friendly. Slows down the pace of climate change. If the use of hydrofluorocarbons used in refrigerators can be reduced at any cost, the increase in temperature will be reduced by 0.2 Celsius by the end of the current century. Strict adherence to air conditioner standards can save 2,000 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from energy savings. This amount is equal to the greenhouse gas emissions in 3 years. However, to prevent greenhouse gas emissions, it is necessary to double the economical use of cooling devices for three decades in a row.

If this becomes possible, the result will be a huge saving of 150,000 megawatts of electricity by 2020. This saving energy is enough to generate the existing thermal power stations of India and China together throughout the year. This will save about Rs 30,000 crore. It is imperative to reduce the use of hydrofluorocarbons that damage the ozone layer in the Kigali Agreement and the Montreal Protocol to prevent global warming from cooling devices. In addition to quality cooling equipment, the construction of livable houses also needs to be done keeping in view the need for cooling equipment.