New Delhi (NVI): Room air conditioners, covered under the ambit of BEE star-labelling programme, must have 24-degrees celsius default setting now, according to the standards notified by the central government.
The move by the central government, in consultation with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), is aimed at saving energy and reducing carbon emissions.
According to the notification, “All brands and types of star labelled room air conditioners, namely, Multi-Stage Capacity Air Conditioners, Unitary Air Conditioners and Split Air Conditioners which are rated from one star to five star, based on their relative energy efficiencies up to a rated cooling capacity of 10,465 Watts (9,000 kcal/hour) and manufactured, commercially purchased or sold in India, shall ensure default setting of temperature in the room air conditioners at twenty-four degrees Celsius with effect from the 1st January 2020.”
The default setting, to be ensured by the manufacturers, will mean that an AC will have 24 degrees celsius when started. The temperature can be altered later.
BEE launched the voluntary star labelling programme for fixed-speed room air conditioners (RACs) in 2006, and it became mandatory on January 12, 2009.
Thereafter, in 2015, voluntary star labelling programme for inverter room air conditioners was launched and which was made mandatory with effect from January 1, 2018, an official release said.
The BEE star labelling programme for room air conditioners now covers both fixed and inverter RAC up to a cooling capacity of 10,465 watts (2.97 TR).
Continual enhancement in performance levels has resulted in substantial energy efficiency improvement of about 43% in the minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for split units, which are the most popular RACs sold in the market.
Star labelling programme for room air conditioners (RACs) has led to an estimated 4.6 billion units of energy savings in FY 2017-18 alone and a cumulative energy savings of 46 billion units translating to 38 million tonnes of carbon emission reduction.
According to the Power Ministry, every degree increase in temperature setting of an AC saves around 6 per cent of electricity consumed.
Union Power Minister R K Singh had said earlier that normal body temperature of a human being is around 36-37 degrees Celsius but hotels and offices generally maintain a temperature of around 18-21 degrees Celsius, which is wastage of energy.
Some countries like Japan have put in place regulation to keep the temperature at 28 degrees celsius, he had said.
