Freezing in the Tropics: Asean’s Air-con Conundrum

Electricity demand is expected to more than double to 2,000 terawatt-hours up to 2040 for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Most of this growth comes from residential and commercial buildings, mostly for cooling, such that by 2040, air-conditioning could account for up to 40% of Asean’s overall electricity demand. The author argues that a crisis can be avoided if the region adopts more efficient technologies and supports a culture change in cooling consumption. The results of a survey of 424 respondents from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, The Philippines and Vietnam highlight the problems of over consumption and lack of awareness of the cooling challenge, but they also reveal several opportunities.