Considering India’s tropical climate and scorching summers, air-conditioners and refrigerators are no more a luxury, but a bare minimum necessity in every household. Additionally, consumers look forward to low electricity bills, regular power supply and voltage fluctuation control and, therefore ACs and Refrigerators that can meet these consumer expectations will be the most preferred buys this summer. With technological advancements and meaningful customer-centric innovations at the fore, everything is going to be smart and intuitive including consumer electronics.
When in talks with Rajeev Bhutani, Senior Vice President, Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung India, he highlighted our concerns with staying cool while still saving on power bills. Bhutani says that you don’t need to be stingy when it comes to comfort. There are many brands out there that cater to energy efficient home appliances and we should make the right choice depending on the home and family requirements. Bhutani gives us some tips on how to choose the right cooling appliances to be a smart consumer of electricity while still being comfortable and responsible on the environment.
In terms of things to keep in mind, while buying ACs and refrigerators, it’s better to keep it simple. So, start with the star ratings i.e. higher the rating, higher will be its energy efficiency and lower will be the electricity bill. Also, going for the trusted and a well-known brand with vast and easy accessible after sales support and service is another wise decision, considering the brand value and life expectancy of the product. Similarly, cooling capacity, noise levels and warranty offered are some of the other aspects to consider while making a purchase.
The new line up of refrigerators and air-conditioners that are coming up are equipped with advanced technology that enables faster cooling, power conservation, durability and great design. They combine innovation with advances in technology to deliver optimal performance. A key feature worth mentioning is solar power compatibility, which will go a long way in energy conservation in line with the Indian government’s efforts to promote solar power.
For refrigerators, space is a major aspect to consider while making a purchase decision, given the size of modern homes and increasing need of storing maximum number of food items in the fridge. Similarly, for ACs, optimal cooling capacity in terms of tonnage is an important aspect to consider.
Companies are increasingly focusing on Make for India innovations and, a strong and well entrenched channel distribution strategy, in order to penetrate the market in a better manner. In the refrigerator category for example - India has a large vegetarian population for whom the freezer section was not very purposeful; convertible refrigerators like 5-in-1 and 3-in-1 enhanced the utility of this space for such consumers as they can now use their freezer space for normal refrigeration and vice versa. Consumers can convert their refrigerator to suit their different needs with a touch of a button.
The Convertible 5-in-1 comes equipped with 5 modes: Normal Mode (Fridge On /Freezer On), Extra Fridge Mode (Converts the Freezer to Fridge giving extra space), Seasonal Mode (Switches of the Freezer while keeping the Fridge on when the consumer does not need the freezer with energy saving up to 64%), Vacation Mode (Keeps only the Freezer on to ensure food is preserved when the consumer is on vacation with energy saving up to 55%) and Home Alone Mode (Uses the Freezer as a mini fridge while shutting off the main fridge saving up to 75% in energy).
The convertible twin cooling refrigerator maximises performance without adding onto your electricity bills. Additionally, there are other technologies available in the market, such as Power Cool & Power Freeze which provides 31% faster cooling & ice-making. Then there is Home Inverter powered refrigerator which tackles low electricity supply, so that customers don’t need to worry about their food going stale during a power cut.
Likewise, there are stabilizer free refrigerators which prevents against voltage fluctuations. The Digital Invertor technology helps save up to 57% energy and also lets out less noise. Many refrigerators also come with on-demand adjustable extra storage space which is a great boon for today’s customers who wants minimalist gadgets with maximum functionality.
Like refrigerators, there are a myriad of new technologies that are coming up in the AC category. Owing to the increasing need for energy efficiency and rising electricity costs, Air-Conditioner (AC) buyers are fast adopting Inverter ACs. The complete transition from on/off AC to inverter AC is expected to happen over the next 1-2 years.
The AC industry has grown considerably over the past few years and from a luxury product, ACs today have become a basic necessity. Inverter AC segment has witnessed a 100% growth this year - with more than 40% contribution as compared to 15% in 2016. It is further expected to reach to around 60-70% or more in 2018, with all players shifting their focus to inverter technology.
Off late, another very unique concept in air conditioning emerged, which changed the way how consumers perceive the way ACs operate and the technology is called the Wind-Free technology (developed by Samsung). It provides ambient conditions by maintaining comfortable room temperature by gently and evenly dispersing cold air through 21,000 micro air holes.
The world’s first Wind-Free Air Conditioner is designed to provide unparalleled cooling comfort while guaranteeing optimum energy efficiency. The two-step cooling system works by first lowering temperatures in ‘Fast Cooling Mode’ and then automatically switching to ‘Wind-Free Cooling Mode’ creating ‘still air’ once the desired temperature is achieved. This approach also reduces energy consumption by up to 72%, as compared to the Fast Cooling mode.
As we move forward, several new technologies will make inroads into the AC and refrigerators space, much of which would be powered by IoT, AI and the like. The future is poised to be quite different from what it is now.
