According to the United Nations Environment Programme, Nigeria stands to save $1.3 billion yearly by phasing out air conditioners and refrigerators that do not meet global energy efficiency standards.
The latest report, titled “Project Overview of Scaling-Up Energy-Efficient and Climate-Friendly Cooling in Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contribution Revision,” revealed this information.
On Friday, UNEP Programme Management Officer Brian Holuj stated that if Nigeria is able to reach its NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) goals in regards to energy efficiency, it will have a substantial effect on the nation’s energy savings. This was according to the report released by the Energy Commission of Nigeria.
Following the rise of subpar air conditioners and refrigerators in Nigeria, a preliminary analysis of potential impacts of room air conditioners for the MEPS in Nigeria was conducted, with the report predicting that by 2040, electricity consumption by ACs would increase by 590%.
In 2040, an estimated 12TWh (or 12,000,000 megawatts-hour) in electricity consumption can be saved annually, which is equal to the power of more than five power plants of 500MW each; resulting in a reduction of 7.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, and a saving of $1.3 billion in electricity bills.