By Himanshu Dixit & Disha Agarwal, Respectively programme associate and senior programme lead, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)

India is facing a summer of extremes. Delhi is sweltering in heat and humidity with temperatures regularly crossing 40°C even as it grapples with occasional thunderstorms. Keeping the erratic nature of this summer aside, a recent analysis by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) found that 57% of Indian districts, home to over three-fourths of the population, now face high to very high heat risk. The occurrences of very warm nights are rising faster than hot days, and humidity is up 10% in parts of north India. This mix is driving a rapid surge in the demand for cooling — from air-conditioners (ACs) to coolers and fans. This has serious implications for power demand, grid stability, and building climate resilience.

In a move to curb air-conditioning driven electricity consumption, the government wants to increase the minimum set-point limit to 20°C (from 16°C) for residential and commercial establishments. The mandate is targeted to shape consumer behaviour to responsibly achieve thermal comfort and avoid overcooling of spaces while reducing energy bills. Why is this important? In 2023, India sold ~11 million room ACs—a number that jumped by 30% to a record 14 million units in 2024. These were mostly 3-star labelled models, which........

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