According to the United Nations Environment Programme, Nigeria would save roughly $1.3 billion a year by ceasing to use air conditioners and refrigerators with energy efficiency ratios that fall below accepted Minimum Energy Performance Standards across the world.
In its most recent report, “Project Overview of Scaling-Up Energy-Efficient and Climate-Friendly Cooling in Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contribution Revision,” it made this disclosure.
The Programme Management Officer, UNEP, Brian Holuj, highlighted that Nigeria’s energy savings will be strongly impacted by the achievement of its NDC with respect to energy efficiency in the report that our reporter acquired from the Energy Commission of Nigeria in Abuja on Friday.
In the preliminary analysis of potential impacts of room air conditioners, with respect to the MEPS in Nigeria, the report forecast indicated that by 2040, electricity consumption by ACs would increase by 590 per cent.
It, however, stated that “basic policies can decrease this electricity demand growth to 410 per cent. Stringent policies can decrease this electricity demand growth to 275 per cent.”
It added, “Annual savings in 2040 is 12TWh (12 Terawatts-hour, that is 12,000,000 megawatts-hour) of electricity consumption, which is equivalent to five-plus power stations of 500MW each; 7.5 million tonnes of CO2; and $1.3bn on electricity bills.”
The report stated that the objectives energy-efficient and climate-friendly cooling project was to conduct a market assessment on air conditioners and leverage existing data, recommend monitoring, verification and enforcement protocols, and conduct an awareness campaign for vendors and consumers.
It stated, “It is to update AC MEPS and energy labels to enhance energy efficiency and address refrigerant global warming potential, provide capacity building to strengthen compliance, train technicians on energy-efficient and climate-friendly room ACs, and recommend cooling targets in the Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Climate Agreement.”
It outlined that key components to transform the AC market to include the sales of energy efficiency of products in the market, financial incentives support adoption of the best products, monitor the market, test to verify compliance, and enforce rules.
