What the UK can learn from Burkina Faso project

16 July 2026

A research project monitoring the growing use of air conditioning in Burkina Faso has findings that the UK can learn from about future electricity demand and grid stability.

As temperatures continue to rise across the globe, air conditioning is rapidly becoming one of the fastest-growing drivers of electricity demand. While powering this uptake is usually a challenge that is associated with hotter regions, emerging research suggests that the UK may face similar pressures in the coming years.

A research project led by the University of Reading is investigating the impact of growing air conditioning adoption on the electricity grid in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The project is monitoring energy consumption in 100 homes across the capital city of Ouagadougou to understand how electricity demand changes throughout the year, particularly during periods of extreme heat when cooling systems are most heavily used. The findings have implications far beyond Burkina Faso.

Logistical challenges

Conducting long-term research across 100 occupied homes presents several logistical challenges. Researchers needed a monitoring solution that was reliable, non-intrusive and capable of operating independently of mains power, particularly given the intermittent nature of electricity supply in some areas. Internet connectivity could not be guaranteed, making cloud-based monitoring impractical.

Battery-powered Tinytag Data Loggers provided an ideal solution. However, the scale and duration of the project created another challenge. Researchers needed to collect detailed, high-resolution data over extended periods while minimising the number of site visits required to download information from each logger.

Frequent visits would increase project costs, place additional demands on participating households and create significant logistical challenges for field teams operating across the city.

Rather than accepting this limitation, the University of Reading and Gemini Data Loggers worked together to find a solution. Early in the project, the research team identified a need to extend the storage capacity of the Tinytag TGP-4820. Working closely with the University of Reading, Gemini Data Loggers increased the logger’s storage capacity from 32,000 readings to 208,320 readings, dramatically extending the monitoring period between downloads.

The enhanced storage capacity not only benefited this particular research programme but has since become part of the standard Tinytag product offering, allowing future researchers and practitioners to benefit from the same capability.

Growing demand

Air conditioning has become one of the largest drivers of household electricity demand in Burkina Faso, creating challenges for grid stability as urban populations continue to grow. 

The country experiences three distinct climate seasons, including prolonged hot and dry periods when temperatures can soar and electricity demand reaches its highest levels. During these periods, air conditioning becomes an increasingly important part of daily life. Understanding how and when households use air conditioning is therefore critical for predicting future electricity demand and ensuring grid stability.

When the project was originally proposed several years ago, the research team suggested that lessons learned in Burkina Faso might eventually become relevant to countries such as the UK as temperatures rise and air conditioning adoption increases. At the time, it was a largely theoretical consideration. Today, it appears increasingly realistic.

“We’re now running another project in the UK looking at the future of residential air conditioning,” says Dr Rory Jones, associate professor in energy and buildings at the University of Reading and principal Investigator of an international research programme funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). “Some of the challenges we’re studying in Burkina Faso are becoming increasingly relevant here as well.”

With heatwaves becoming more frequent and a growing number of UK households installing cooling systems, understanding the relationship between air conditioning and electricity demand is rapidly becoming an issue of national importance.

Consumption analysis

Recent modelling suggests that between 5% and 6% of UK homes already have permanent air conditioning units installed, with significantly higher adoption rates in some parts of the South East. As heatwaves become more frequent and prolonged, homeowners are increasingly looking for ways to improve comfort and protect vulnerable occupants, particularly young children and older people.

While air conditioning can provide an effective cooling solution, widespread adoption raises important questions about future electricity demand. Alongside the growing use of electric vehicles, heat pumps and other electrified technologies, cooling systems could place additional strain on energy infrastructure during periods of peak demand.

Understanding how and when electricity is used will therefore become increasingly important.

This is where localised, portable energy monitoring plays a vital role.

By accurately measuring electricity consumption, organisations, local authorities and property owners can identify usage patterns, understand peak demand periods and make informed decisions about future energy strategies. Reliable monitoring data also supports investment decisions, helping users evaluate technologies such as solar PV, battery storage and energy efficiency improvements.

Tinytag Energy Loggers and Current Clamp Loggers, like those used in the Burkina Faso research project, are designed to provide precisely this type of insight. By recording voltage, current, power and power factor over time, they enable detailed analysis of energy consumption in homes, offices and industrial premises. ■

To discover how energy monitoring can help you understand the demand of HVAC systems, visit: www.geminidataloggers.com/hvac-energy-monitoring