International. The report "Benefits of Making the Leap to Super Efficient, Low Global Warming Potential Refrigerants in Air Conditioning," conducted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, states that improving the energy efficiency of indoor air conditioners to the level of efficient units already on the market could avoid around 25 billion tons of CO2 emissions by 2030, 32.5 billion tons in 2040 and 40 billion tons in 2050, for cumulative savings up to 97.5 billion tons of CO2.
The researchers calculate that the savings in peak demand could be equal to 500 – 1,200 GW of electricity, which would avoid (or release for other uses), an amount of electricity equivalent to the production of between 1,000 and 2,500 medium-sized (500 MW) load plants of maximum power by 2050.
However, the report notes that it should be noted that there are always some uncertainties associated with such projections: "Efficient air conditioners are commercially available today, and can save consumers money by substantially reducing their operating costs," said Dr. Nihar Shah, the lead author of the report. "Our calculations take into account that there will be a bit of a rebound effect from efficiency improvements, as some users use their air conditioners more when they are cheaper to operate. Even with this, the climate benefits and costs are substantial."
