ShareBrazilian government outlines measures to reduce electricity consumption
Owing to severe droughts affecting hydropower generation, the Brazilian government is imposing measures to reduce electricity consumption in public buildings, including limiting the use of air conditioning.
According to the IEA, Brazil was the largest hydroelectricity producer after China in 2020. [1] Unfortunately, severe droughts in Brazil are currently impacting the country’s hydroelectricity capacity as its reservoirs dry up.
In response, the Brazilian government issued a decree on the 26 August 2021, outlining measures to reduce electricity consumption in public buildings by 10 to 20% between September 2021 and April 2022, in relation to the average consumption during the same period in 2018 and 2019. [2]
Concerning data centres, the decree states that rooms must be “cooled only to the limit of what is technically necessary.” [3]
Concerning the use of air conditioning, temperature settings should be limited to 24°C and air conditioners should be turned off when the room is unoccupied. Natural ventilation should be preferred on days with mild temperatures. The installation of air renewal systems is required in air conditioning systems that do not have it, such as window appliances, splits, multi-splits and variable refrigerant flow systems. For new or renovated buildings, the purchase of air conditioners equipped with a compressor with variable speed technology is mandatory.
Overall, the decree requires public agencies to buy the most energy-efficient equipment, follow energy efficiency standards, and perform preventive maintenance on equipment.
- For further information on refrigeration equipement in Brazil, please download the following documents on FRIDOC:
Brazilian cold chain panorama. https://iifiir.org/en/fridoc/brazilian-cold-chain-panorama-141242
Free cooling potential for Brazilian data centers based on approach point methodology. https://iifiir.org/en/fridoc/free-cooling-potential-for-brazilian-data-centers-based-on-approach-143201
Sources
[1] IEA (2021), Hydropower Special Market Report, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/reports/hydropower-special-market-report
[2] https://www.in.gov.br/en/web/dou/-/decreto-n-10.779-de-25-de-agosto-de-2021-340742061