ACs are becoming firebombs. Upgrade their design
Is anyone keeping track of AC fires and blasts? Govt isn’t. There’s no official database of deaths and injuries resulting from these either. Frankly, nobody knows the scale of the problem. But judging by almost daily reports from across the country, it’s significant. And, at least two reasons are obvious. One, AC use is rising rapidly – roughly 1.5cr new units each year. Two, ACs are running longer without a break, to counter growing heat and humidity. Poor repair and maintenance, and use of inflammable refrigerants – required by law because they are eco-friendlier – are also factors. If nothing is done now, ACs could become a bigger hazard in coming years, because AC ownership will grow fastest in India, and Indian cities will grow hotter – partly due to those same ACs using gigawatts of power. International Energy Agency estimates India could have 110cr ACs by 2050.
So, what should govt do? Spreading awareness about proper AC use, service and maintenance is important, but not a fail-safe intervention. Even NGOs can do that. Govt specifically should address the minimum design standards for ACs, and also refrigerators. If it means overengineering compressors, so be it. Costs might rise, but safety comes first. With North Indian cities frequently hitting 45°C now, equipment designed for 40°C will fail, sometimes dangerously. Beyond safety, govt should also look at energy consumption of ACs. Studies show ACs would consume much less power if they were designed to counter humidity more than heat. Since India with 1.1bn ACs would need many times more energy, replanning cities and housing to cut energy use must be govt’s priority. Instead of each household cooling its living space, while heating the air outside, we have to think about cooling cities overall. That’s a long-term project, but better, safer AC engineering can’t wait.
https://www.iea.org/reports/the-future-of-cooling
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
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