Air conditioners could send Australia's power grid into meltdown this summer, as roughly one third of the workforce do their jobs from home, experts have warned.
Key points:
Air-conditioning drives power demand in peak periods
Higher numbers of people working from home will likely mean more stress on Australia's power grid
Last summer was Australia's second-hottest on record
According to research company Roy Morgan, more than 4.3 million Australians are working from home as employees and employers continue to take a cautious approach to coronavirus social-distancing.
But warmer weather has come with a warning that increased use of air-conditioning in homes could lead to more blackouts and higher electricity bills.
"Air-conditioning is what drives our maximum demand in Australia," said Peter Dobney, the former founding chairman of the Energy Users Association of Australia.
Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-21/why-working-from-home-could-spark-power-disaster-down-under/12667814
