Wendy Zhang/ Shanghai Daily news

Natural gas-fueled air-conditioners, expected to hit the local market this year, will ease the local power shortage, today's Youth Post reported.
China's first natural gas-fueled air-conditioner, developed by the Shanghai Jiaotong University after two years of development and with its own intellectual property, passed inspection yesterday. A total of between 150 and 180 of the air-conditioners will be offered in the city this year. By 2007, that number is expected to reach 500, and by 2010, up to 1,000 will be available.
Air-conditioners represent more than 40 percent of the local power demand. In the summer of 2003, the peak electricity demand reached 13.616 million kilowatts, and the figure jumped to more than 15 million kilowatts last year, with more than 45 percent being used to supply air-conditioners.
Replacing electricity by natural gas can ease local power shortages, save energy, and protect the environment as well, said Prof. Huang Zhen, vice director of the mechanic engineering institute of Jiaotong University. If these air-conditioners can be made popular, peak power demand will decline by 8.8 percent, Huang said.
Such air-conditioners can apply to an area of between several hundred and 1,000 square meters, such as villas, elementary schools, shops and restaurants, he added.