The State Energy Conservation Mission (SECM) suggested to people to set their air-conditioners’ temperature setting at 26 degrees Celsius in order to cut down on electricity consumption and contribute to the much-needed reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
In a press release, SECM CEO A. Chandra Sekhar Reddy said that according to estimates, the present annual power consumption by air-conditioners is 2,800 MU. When the AC temperature is set between 19 and 21 degrees, which is much lower than the normal body temperature, there might be risks of hypothermia, skin allergy or itching and high blood pressure, he said.
Moreover, when an AC runs at low temperatures, its compressor continuously works on full energy and consumes excess power. The best way to run an AC is to set it up at a temperature of 26° C or more, which results in lesser consumption of electricity. Even if five units are saved per AC per night by running it on 26°, a savings of five million units of electricity per day in 10 lakh houses would be achieved.
The usage of a 5-star rated AC would save 4.5 units per day when compared to a zero-star AC. A 1-star split AC of 1.50 ton capacity would save ₹665 per year while a 5-star AC would save around ₹2,500 when compared to a zero-star AC.
In an online meeting on star-rated appliances, Energy Secretary N. Srikant said a reduction of one degree in the setting of AC temperature would result in 6% reduction in electricity consumption.
He observed that most of the people have a habit of running their ACs at 20-22 degrees whereas the human body’s temperature tolerance ranges from 23 degrees to 39 degrees.
