Current and Projected Cooling Demand

The current cooling demand consists of both met and unmet demands (‘needs’) for cooling. Very few readily available data exist in the second category, the lack of access to cooling. We know that in 2016 an estimated 1.06 billion people lacked access to electricity. Most of these populations are based in developing countries, predominantly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. A large number of those dealing with energy-poverty, estimated at approx. 80%, live in rural areas, with 2016 data showing a 96% overall access rate for urban areas and a 73% rate for rural areas.

The report assesses the cooling demands in buildings, in cities and in cold chains.