Reducing cooling-related electricity demand with energy efficiency (SDG7.3)

This report examines the impact of energy efficiency on electricity demand for cooling appliances in households at risk. It highlights that while expanding cooling access could significantly increase energy needs, the adoption of best-available technologies and passive building strategies can offset this demand and support sustainable energy transitions.

• Providing space cooling to 1.8–4.1 billion people annually exposed to heat stress could increase energy requirements by 786 TWh/year, with air conditioning acting as the primary driver. This demand is concentrated mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa, India, and South-East Asia, and is more than 10 times the energy required to provide these groups with Tier 2 basic electricity services.
• Under a business-as-usual (BAU) efficiency scenario, the adoption of compatible cooling appliances in high-impact countries for households at medium and low access risk could require over 240 TWh of annual electricity demand by 2030. Domestic refrigerator-freezers would be responsible for nearly 48 percent of this demand due to their compatibility and higher energy intensity compared to fans.
• Implementing proactive performance standards for air conditioners and refrigerator-freezers could increase the number of compatible appliances for at-risk households by 16 percent (to nearly 1.07 billion) while almost entirely offsetting the resulting increase in electricity demand through efficiency gains. Without these standards, annual demand would be 67 TWh higher.
• Energy efficiency standards for portable and ceiling fans would result in an absolute reduction of potential annual energy demand, decreasing it from 62.5 TWh to 55.7 TWh. Over 67 percent of this potential demand is concentrated in five high-impact countries: China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, and Bangladesh.
• Passive building solutions and improved building envelopes can mitigate electricity demand. In high-impact countries, regulations targeting a 15–30 percent reduction in space cooling energy demand for medium and low risk households could save 18–35 TWh of electricity by 2030. This is particularly critical in Africa, where residential building stock is projected to more than double its 2022 size to reach 50 billion square metres by 2050.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (n.d.). Reducing cooling-related electricity demand with energy efficiency (SDG7.3). https://www.seforall.org/data-stories/chilling-prospects-2022-special/reducing-cooling-related-electricity-demand

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. Reducing cooling-related electricity demand with energy efficiency (SDG7.3). n.d. https://www.seforall.org/data-stories/chilling-prospects-2022-special/reducing-cooling-related-electricity-demand.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=Reducing cooling-related electricity demand with energy efficiency (SDG7.3) |url=https://www.seforall.org/data-stories/chilling-prospects-2022-special/reducing-cooling-related-electricity-demand |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforallndreducing, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{Reducing cooling-related electricity demand with energy efficiency (SDG7.3)}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/data-stories/chilling-prospects-2022-special/reducing-cooling-related-electricity-demand}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }