全球智库信息集成服务系统

Overview

The air-conditioning service sector in India plays an extremely important role in the upcoming phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in the country. This study examines the present state of the AC service sector in India and assesses the level of skill and knowledge of the technicians about Good Service Practices (GSPs) to reduce refrigerant leakages. Based on a primary survey of 642 technicians in the residential, mobile, and commercial air-conditioning sectors (known as the RAC, MAC and CAC sectors, respectively) in New Delhi, Jaipur, and Madurai, it aims to address the growing skill gap in the sector.

With the adoption of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in October 2016, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) will have to be phased down from all sectors in India from 2028 onwards. At the same time, the air-conditioning sector in India is expected to grow massively in the coming years. The cumulative global warming impact of HFC emissions on India’s total carbon dioxide and HFC emissions between 2015 and 2050 is estimated to be 3.9 per cent in a business-as-usual scenario.

The AC service sector is estimated to account for as much as 40 per cent of all refrigerant consumption in the country. Reducing demand from this sector by increasing adherence to GSPs—that is, servicing and installation practices that are vital for the safe, reliable, and climate-friendly operation of the system—is key to addressing the issue of cutting HFC emissions.