ShareBrazil: record temperatures in 2023 boost AC sales
In the second half of 2023, hotter-than-average temperatures were recorded in Brazil, boosting AC sales this year.
According to the Brazilian Association of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Heating (Abrava), only 20% of Brazilian households own an air conditioner. [1]
Ownership of air conditioners per household in Latin America is around half of the global average, but the IEA estimates that it will quadruple by 2050 according to the Stated Policies Scenario (STEPS). [2] Currently, air conditioning already accounts for a staggering 6 to 7% of energy consumption in residential buildings, a figure that could be reduced in the APS scenario by implementing minimum energy efficiency standards. [2]
The STEPS provides a more conservative benchmark for the future than the Announced Pledges Scenario (APS). Under the APS, countries implement their national targets in full and on time.
Currently, Brazil is experiencing the hottest winter* since 1961. For example, São Paulo and parts of Minas Gerais recorded up to 70 days with temperatures above 30 °C. These heat waves are driving AC sales in the country.
In the first semester of 2023, sales of air conditioners in Brazil grew by 16% compared to the same period in 2022, with 1.48 million units in 2023 compared to 1.28 million in 2022. With heat waves affecting cooling demand in the second semester, Abrava predicts that by the end of 2023, sales of ACs will reach four million residential units, exceeding last year’s total sales by 700,000 units. [1]
*Winter in Brazil runs from June to September.
Sources
[1] Calor extremo aquece vendas de ventiladores e ares-condicionados. https://revistadofrio.com.br/calor-extremo-aquece-vendas-de-ventiladores-e-ares-condicionados/
[2] IEA (2023), Latin America Energy Outlook 2023, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/reports/latin-america-energy-outlook-2023 , License: CC BY 4.0