Your AC’s minimum temperature may not go below 20 degrees C if govt has its way. Here’s why

If the government of India pushes through a new energy-saving regulation, your air conditioner’s thermostat may soon refuse to go below 20 degrees Celsius, no matter how hot the weather gets.

According to Bloomberg, the government is working with appliance manufacturers to standardize the operating temperature range of air conditioners to ensure that the minimum temperature is not set below 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit), a shift from the current settings that often allow temperatures as low as 16 degrees Celsius.

“Temperatures would be set in the range of 20C-28C,” power minister Manohar Lal told reporters at a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday. “This would be done for ACs at homes, hotels and even in cars.”

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The plan, although at an initial stage, reflects the government’s focus on boosting energy efficiency as electricity consumption soars.

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In recent years, demand has outpaced generation capacity, leaving parts of the country without power during the sweltering summer months of April through June, the news agency reported.

Air conditioners account for about 50 gigawatts, or one-fifth, of the maximum load, said Pankaj Agarwal, the ministry’s top bureaucrat.

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The math behind the move is compelling: every single-degree increase in AC temperature can reduce energy consumption by around 6%. If the minimum is raised to 20 degrees Celsius nationwide, officials estimate it could save up to 3 gigawatts of peak demand, Agarwal said, citing studies.

A study by the University of California, Berkeley, said that tightening energy efficiency standards for cooling could save 60 gigawatts in India’s peak electricity demand by 2035, avoiding 7.5 trillion rupees ($88 billion) of new generation and grid infrastructure.

India’s power demand

India, which has around 100 million air conditioning units in use and adds about 15 million more every year, is confronting a growing electricity shortfall. Last summer, demand surged to a record 250 gigawatts.

This year, it’s expected to rise another 8%, although May’s unseasonal rains temporarily eased the pressure.

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“Even if the peak requirement reaches the estimated 270 gigawatts, we are fully prepared to meet it,” Lal said.

Separately, the minister said that the government is working on a plan to invite companies to build 30 gigawatt-hour battery storage projects to widen the use of renewable energy and reduce the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels.