The Ministry of Environment has indefinitely shelved plans to phase out energy-hungry domestic air conditioning (A/C) units pending further study, the Peninsula reports.
The announcement comes three months after officials said that only eco-friendly units would be sold in Qatar stores starting this fall.
The goal of rolling out these new units was to help cut electricity consumption in Qatar, which has soared in recent years due to the growing population.
Time running out
According to the Qatar National Development Strategy 2011-16, domestic AC units account for two-thirds (67 percent) of total residential power consumption.
With less than two years to go to fulfill the strategy, finding greener ways of cooling homes has become a priority for authorities.
A small change in our consumption of electricity and water can affect our sustainability http://t.co/fAgoyswHDO
— ترشيد قطر (@TarsheedQatar) May 9, 2015
But this week, Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al Kuwari, assistant undersecretary for laboratory and specifications at the MOE, said that a new committee has been formed to look into eco-friendly AC units.
“This is to avoid importing defective air conditioners. We need to study the durability and effectiveness of the new A/Cs for a long time before importing,” Al Kuwari said.
Meanwhile, the MOE has also fallen behind an April deadline to stop importing tungsten (incandescent) light bulbs, in favor of energy-efficient LED bulbs.
Officials in Qatar have been talking about phasing out old ACs and lightbulbs for years, but the relative higher cost of energy-efficient models has made implementation difficult.
Al Kuwari told local media that a decision on the import ban would be made “soon.”
Thoughts?
“This is to avoid importing defective air conditioners. We need to study the durability and effectiveness of the new A/Cs for a long time before importing,” Al Kuwari said. What a joke excuse. More smoke and mirrors for those who don’t understand AC but absolutely laughable to we that do. The latest generation economical 410A refrigerant units have been on the market over 10 years and have proved themselves without question. This is so Qatar can continue to install the outdated energy guzzling R22 units – because being 3 generations old they are CHEAP. And Qatar gets away with it because R22 is to be banned here 5 years later than in Europe due to Qatar being a “developing country”. Never mind the planet Qatar – you just keep going on your merry way.
hocus pocus – like the specification for all diesel engines in Qatar – running 5-6 year old dirty diesel because there is no will to enforce cleaner technology
It would make me laugh it it weren’t so sad to see the incompetence of the authorities again.
“You mean we have to actually do something? We can’t just declare it and say inshala and it happens?” smh….
Yea, true, otherwise the authority should have prosecuted you for your illegal, unethical and immoral work with students.
I don’t think anyone can claim to be moral in Qatar.
What he is doing is highly unethical. Of course, like most expats, the standard of ethics vanishes upon the slight sight of money.
Can you elaborate?
see above.
Are you saying that the slight sight of money further strengthens the moral and ethical standards of non-expats?
And that’s why I left.
Whats the illegal, unethical and immoral work that he did?
He is helping college students cheat for little sum of money.
Are you suggesting that he should be getting more money from the students? 🙂
Your attempts to make humors statements are as terrible, very immature.
Whoaa!Back up the bus Ibrahim big call!
Deleting for attack and subsequent thread.
Would this decision be related to landlords suddenly realizing their bottom line will be negatively impacted as they would have to replace not only AC units but also possibly lighting fixtures?
I think this is for new AC installations only and for replacement light bulbs where applicable. Would still affect bottom line but surely by not that much!
But I have at least 4 different types of light fixtures none of which are standard and all require my landlord’s maintenance guys for replacement.
Thats why i said “where applicable”.
We need a Ministry of Delays who can make these announcements. Officially approved excuses are: (can be used for anything)
We are a developing country
It needs to be mulled further
It’s Israel’s fault
It’s worse in America
Expat management stole the money
We are only a small country it doesn’t matter
Inshallah
Bukra inshallah
And once you run out of excuses you form a new committee to study the matter and advise. In this particular case, the new Eco-friendly A/C Committee Members are likely to visit all countries that have already banned the old A/C’s, study their experience and in two years time report that more studies are needed.
This process isn’t limited to Qatar…Ive worked for organisations in the West who follow exactly that pattern!
Agreed, the process is not limited to Qatar. However, the per diems Qatari business travelers receive are second to none.
haha, yes the per diem run. I remember in a previous company one local wanted to go on a training course in Australia for 2 weeks, when the training guy told him he found an almost identical course in Dubai and its only a week his response was:
“I don’t want to go there”
Give these guys a break! They are entitled to mull things over, change their mind, and announce un-thought out schemes, as many times as they like. That’s what ‘advanced nations’ do. 15 years to go.
lol
As agreed worldwide in the Montreal Protocol, by 2015 production of R22 should have been cut in developing countries to 5% of base need to allow for maintenance. The end-date for the use of R22 gas in developing countries is 2020. It makes absolutely no sense to install a R22 unit now when it will be illegal in 5 years time. If Qatar doesn’t start acting now it will either have an incredible bill in 2020 or you’ll find that the AC in your dwelling can’t be repaired after 2020 as there is no R22 to recharge it and the only option for the landlord will be to install a modern unit at the princely sum of about QAR10000 per unit. That will bring water to the landlord’s eyes.
I suppose that gives them justification for that year’s rent increase at least…
Why don’t they just start installing the secret amazing super efficient cooling technology that they promised for the 2022 stadiums? Wait, what, it doesn’t exist?
more hollow promises !
Dont those water dripping window ACs add to the charm of Najma and Musheirib? They’ll be phased out after Somalia phases them out maybe.