Centre for Science and Environment has released the results of the lab tests of energy performance of popular 5-star split room air conditioners (RACs) under normal and maximum temperature conditions to assess how these units perform under different outdoor temperature conditions and how that affects the energy savings from the star labeling programme of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).

Centre for Science and Environment has carried out this study to know how energy efficiency of room air conditioners (RAC) perform when outside ambient temperature is variable and high. Room air conditioner is a cooling device that cools closed environments. The amount of electricity that room air conditioners use to do cooling is one of the critical parameters that decide the energy budget of households as well as that of the country. This appliance is inherently an energy guzzler and therefore a climate rogue. Regulations are shaping up across the world as also in India to set tighter energy efficiency targets for RACs, while passive architectural design is being promoted to improve thermal comforts of buildings to reduce its use.