{"id":87662,"date":"2024-10-22T05:06:19","date_gmt":"2024-10-21T19:36:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=87662"},"modified":"2025-12-08T11:34:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T02:04:14","slug":"smart-air-conditioning-mb3034","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/smart-air-conditioning-mb3034\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Conditioning In Australia: Time To Get Smart Says IEEFA"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Smart<\/p>\n

Air conditioners sold in Australia need to meet minimum efficiency standards, but not minimum “smarts”. This should change says a new report from IEEFA. Here’s why.<\/p>\n

Heating and cooling represents around 40% of the energy use in the average Australian home. While improving thermal performance such as air-tightness<\/a> of homes is critical to boosting energy efficiency, also important is more efficient air-conditioning. Using a reverse-cycle air conditioner (RCAC) is a good start as it’s the most energy-efficient space heater and cooler of all types commercially available.<\/p>\n

There’s also an opportunity to make RCACs more grid and hip-pocket friendly through dynamic management. Some can have their energy use managed remotely or are \u2018demand response enabled\u2019. This (usually) means a third party such as a Distributed Network Service Provider or aggregator can control these air conditioners where necessary based on electricity network conditions.<\/p>\n

There are already several air-conditioner related demand-response programs in Australia where customers receive financial or other rewards for participating. But a report released by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) this morning says governments need to do more to support participation and programs.<\/p>\n

One of the ways to do this includes establishing standards to require RCACs in Australia to be smarter. An existing standard, AS4755, is a very basic, out-dated approach to demand response says IEEFA.<\/p>\n

\"Australian<\/p>\n

Around a quarter of a million households are already participating in voluntary retailer programs, but millions more aren’t. And with the transition to electrification, aircon related load on electricity networks will only climb.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs increasing numbers of homes electrify their heating to reduce their energy bills and lower their emissions, ensuring that RCACs can be used as flexible demand will be an important way to help lower costs for consumers, improve the operation of the electricity grid, and reduce emissions,” says Dr Gabrielle Kuiper, author of the report.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And this isn’t just in regard to heating either, but cooling too as maximum grid demand usually occurs during the hotter months in most states. Very low grid demand is another beast that needs to be tamed as it can also threaten network stability. This usually occurs (and is occurring more often) when there are high levels of solar energy goodness in the grid. Air conditioners can help soak some of this up, but they need to be instructed when to do so.<\/p>\n

Dr Kuiper says in most modeling, the potential demand flexibility capacity of reverse cycle air-conditioners is less than hot water or electric vehicles, but it still provides a significant opportunity.<\/p>\n

Positive Customer Experience<\/h2>\n

While the thought of letting a third-party taking control of their home’s air-conditioner wouldn’t appeal to some, dynamic energy management of this nature done right also allows the customer to override it when required.<\/p>\n

Many participants may not even notice when their aircon is being controlled if the RCAC fan is left running while switching off the compressor states Dr. Kuiper. A report some years ago concerning an Ausgrid trial<\/a> stated 88% of respondents didn’t notice a difference in comfort during hot days when the power saving mode of units was activated.<\/p>\n

Making Existing Air-Con Smart Is Cheap (But Subsidies Please)<\/h2>\n

The majority of new air conditioners available today have Wi-Fi control available as standard or optional; enabling their energy use to dynamically managed. But many existing “dumb” RCAC units can be managed remotely through the addition of smart thermostats.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe technology required to make a new or existing RCAC smart is cheap,” says Dr. Kuiper. “And the development of platforms to reward demand flexibility is inexpensive compared to the costs of building new electricity generation and network infrastructure.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Among its recommendations, the IEEFA says Australian governments should consider subsidising various add-on sensors and devices to make existing reverse-cycle air conditioning units smart. Furthermore, efficiency standards need to be raised, and aircon-related requirements also need to be put in place or rejiggered as soon as possible given the electrification shift and growing variable renewable energy supply, such as that from home solar power systems<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The report is available here: “Smart air conditioners could slash energy bills for consumers<\/a>“.<\/p>\n

For more, read our detailed guide to air conditioning.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Air conditioners sold in Australia need to meet minimum efficiency standards, but not minimum “smarts”. This should change says a new report from IEEFA. Here’s why.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":87663,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[792],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-air-conditioning","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAir Conditioning In Australia: Time To Get Smart Says IEEFA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Air conditioners sold in Australia need to meet minimum efficiency standards, but not minimum "smarts". 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Following consultation on draft regulations for Victoria\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"An instantaneous gas hot water heater","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gas-phaseout-victoria.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gas-phaseout-victoria.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gas-phaseout-victoria.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gas-phaseout-victoria.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gas-phaseout-victoria.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":93491,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/nsw-net-zero-mb3235\/","url_meta":{"origin":87662,"position":2},"title":"More Calls To Make NSW Homes All-Electric","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"July 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"As New South Wales faces potentially missing its emissions targets, increased effort is needed across the board \u2014 including the built environment. The Net Zero Commission is an independent body providing expert advice and recommendations on NSW\u2019s approach to addressing climate change. The Commission's 2024 Annual Report indicated the state\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"An all-electric home","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/home-electrification-nsw.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/home-electrification-nsw.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/home-electrification-nsw.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/home-electrification-nsw.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/home-electrification-nsw.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":93106,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/home-energy-efficiency-report-mb3221\/","url_meta":{"origin":87662,"position":3},"title":"Call For A National Energy Efficiency Rebate Scheme","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"July 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Policy debate in Australia concerned with addressing rising energy costs has largely centred on the wrong solutions says a new report - the focus should be on homes, not power plants. While solar power has put downward pressure on electricity prices, this has been offset by increases in gas and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Home solar installations in an Australian suburb","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/australian-homes-solar.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/australian-homes-solar.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/australian-homes-solar.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/australian-homes-solar.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/australian-homes-solar.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":88484,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/flexible-solar-exports-mb3075\/","url_meta":{"origin":87662,"position":4},"title":"Flexible Solar Exports In Australia: Where And When","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"December 18, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"South Australia led the way on flexible exports for rooftop solar power systems - so what's happening elsewhere in Australia? Here's the state of play. Distributed Network Service Providers (DNSPs) have export limits for solar inverters - often set at 5kW per phase. When the\u00a0 limit is reached, the inverter\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Solar flexible exports in Australia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/flexible-exports-australia.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/flexible-exports-australia.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/flexible-exports-australia.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/flexible-exports-australia.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/flexible-exports-australia.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":35108,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-cooling-trial-mb1301\/","url_meta":{"origin":87662,"position":5},"title":"New Cooling Technology Trial Powered By Solar Panels","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"November 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is supporting a demonstration of technology powered by renewables aiming to slash commercial cooling costs. ARENA announced yesterday it was providing $2 million in funding to Glaciem Cooling Technologies to demonstrate the benefits of thermal energy storage integrated with renewables for Heating, Ventilation, Air\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Glaciem Cooling Technologies and solar energy","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/glaciem-solar-cooling.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/glaciem-solar-cooling.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/glaciem-solar-cooling.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/glaciem-solar-cooling.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/glaciem-solar-cooling.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87662"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87662\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96421,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87662\/revisions\/96421"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}