Air conditioning is widely adopted in South Australia to help maintain a comfortable environment for living and working.
Improving the energy efficiency and managing the energy use of residential air conditioners will help to:
- better manage the growth in South Australia's peak electricity demand
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions attributed to cooling.
On this page:
What is currently being done to manage air conditioner energy use?
Additional measures to manage energy use of air conditioners
Why manage air conditioner energy use?
What is currently being done to manage air conditioner energy use?
South Australia is at the forefront of efforts to better manage air conditioner energy use with a number of measures in place:
Energy efficiency requirements for residential air conditioners
On 1 October 2011 more stringent national Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for air conditioners commenced. These were championed by South Australia in the Council of Australian Governments 2009 National Strategy on Energy Efficiency (NSEE). These national MEPS supersede South Australia's specific requirements that applied from 1 January 2010. For more information see
Air conditioners energy efficiency requirements.
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Energy efficiency requirements for new homes
New homes in South Australia must meet a 6 star thermal performance energy efficiency standard. An improved thermal performance reduces the amount of energy needed by heating and cooling systems to maintain comfort in homes.
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Residential energy efficiency scheme
South Australia's residential energy efficiency scheme requires energy retailers to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets by delivering energy efficiency measures to households.
Many of the measures that retailers can deliver can improve air
- conditioner energy efficiency including:
- installing ceiling insulation
- draught proofing
- installing energy efficient duct work
- replacing inefficient air conditioning systems.
Find out more about the residential energy efficiency scheme.
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Electricity demand management trials
The Essential Services Commission of South Australia (ESCOSA) approved ETSA Utilities spending up to $20.4 million on electricity demand management trials.
Its largest trial will be commencing in Adelaide in early 2011 and will use smart grid technologies such as sophisticated sensing and direct load control to help manage the impact of air conditioner use during peak periods.
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Smart air conditioners
South Australia successfully advocated for a national regulatory impact statement on a proposal for all new air conditioners to be smart appliances capable of being remotely controlled during peak periods.
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Additional measures to manage energy use of air conditioners
The South Australian Government is building on current efforts by establishing additional measures to better manage the growth in peak electricity demand from residential air conditioners, they include:
Driving national adoption of smart appliances
South Australia will continue to support, where cost effective, the inclusion of interfaces in all new air conditioners to make them smart appliances.
Smart appliances are capable of being controlled during peak periods if the end users have subscribed to such a program.
A key step will be championing the national proposal through the Ministerial Council on Energy (MCE) for demand-response equipment being included in the manufacture of all new:
- air conditioners
- electric, solar-electric and electric heat pump water heaters
- pool pumps
- electric vehicles.
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Driving national adoption of an energy performance standard for ductwork
National legislation for minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for equipment which affects the efficiency of energy using appliances will be developed as part of the National Strategy on Energy Efficiency.
Ductwork has been flagged as an example of a component that could be regulated as it can significantly affect the energy efficiency of air conditioning systems.
South Australia is taking a lead role for the inclusion of ductwork in the new national legislation. As a first step, it will commission a profile of the energy efficiency of ductwork used in Australia and will conduct initial testing of a selection of products.
These are essential steps towards determining an energy efficiency standard for ductwork that will ultimately phase out the use of inefficient products.
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A further 10% improvement in the minimum energy performance of air conditioners from 2014
As part of its agreement to more stringent Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for air conditioners from 1 October 2011, the Ministerial Council on Energy also agreed to a further indicative MEPS in 2014 which will be the subject of a further Regulatory Impact Statement.
This proposed MEPS is an average 25% more stringent that the 2010 MEPS levels (see Table 3 in the "Decision Regulatory Impact Statement: Minimum Energy Performance Standards for Air Conditioners: 2011" on the Equipment Energy Efficiency website).
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Working with industry to improve design and installation of air conditioning systems
The South Australian Government has indicated its willingness to take part in the industry led process to develop a standard for the design and installation of residential air conditioners.
Government will also invite the air conditioning and building industries to participate in a sectoral agreement relating to the sizing, installation and use of residential air conditioners.
The sectoral agreement will also cover the installation of energy efficient ductwork.
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Working with local government and industry to facilitate high levels of compliance with new home energy efficiency requirements
The South Australian Government will work with local government and industry to develop and promote energy efficiency practices to foster a high level of compliance with energy efficiency requirements for new homes. This will include better access to training on the energy efficiency elements of the Building Code of Australia.
The Government will also investigate ways to improve the energy efficiency requirements for new homes so they perform better on hot summer days.
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Supporting householders to get the best performance out of their air conditioner
Information is available to consumers on how to purchase and operate air conditioners efficiently during the hot summer months. This can help householders to improve their levels of comfort and reduce electricity bills.
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Why manage air conditioner energy use?
South Australia faces particular challenges from the rapid growth in air conditioner use in recent years.
The use of air conditioners is the main contributor to the large increases in electricity demand on hot summer days. South Australia has the highest annual growth rate of maximum electricity demand across the five regions of the national electricity market (NEM).
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| Source: Australian Energy Market Operator, Electricity Statement of Opportunities 2010. Data sources from Tables 4.5, 4.8, 4.11, 4.14, 4.17, 4.21. |
This leads to the need for costly upgrades to electricity network infrastructure and generation to support short term peak electricity demand and results in higher electricity costs for consumers.
The growth in energy use from air conditioners has also lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions attributed to cooling.
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