Demand for air conditioning expected to triple by 2050
Staff Writer
Thursday, May 17, 2018, 2:09 PM - A recent report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) says that worldwide demand for air conditioning will triple by 2050.
That in turn will dramatically increase the need for electricity.
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It's estimated the amount of power required will be equivalent to the combined electrical capacity of the U.S., the E.U. and Japan.
The study suggests that rising incomes in the developing world will see air conditioner ownership skyrocket.
Unfortunately, units sold in many emerging countries are relatively inefficient.
IEA air conditioner performance must be prioritized, especially in India, which will see a spike in air conditioning in the coming decades.
Indoor cooling currently accounts for 10 per cent of the country's electricity use.
That number will more than quadruple by 2050.
While air conditioning is common in developed countries like the U.S. and Japan, just eight per cent of the nearly 3-billion people living in the hottest countries have it.
That will change in another 30 years, when air conditioning will be available in 67 per cent of homes worldwide.
The complete report can be found online.
Graph Courtesy of IEA
