Air-conditioning units that use renewable energy, such as solar power or cold seawater, are approaching the commercial production stage - a milestone that could reduce climate change and help phase-out greenhouses gases known as HCFCs (Hydrochlorofluorocarbons).
This was one of the key outcomes of a conference held in Cairo, Egypt last week to review global technology trends in the air conditioning sector and their impact on the environment.
The two-day meeting was co-organised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and was attended by more than 150 international experts from Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. Representatives of bilateral and UN agencies that operate within the Montreal Protocol On Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer, which is the international treaty to designed to protect the ozone layer, also took part.
There are around 1.5 billion refrigerators and half a billion air conditioners on the planet. Together with industrial ‘chillers’, they represent the major use of HCFCs worldwide.
In 2007, Parties to the Montreal Protocol agreed to accelerate the phase-out of HCFCs - chemicals that were used to replace the more ozone-damaging CFCs - by 2030. Phasing-out HCFCs by 2030 will not only assist in the restoration of the ozone layer but could play an important role in addressing climate change
Achieving this target would provide a global emission reduction of up to 40 Gigatonnes of Equivalent Carbon Dioxide, the measure for describing the concentration of CO2 that impacts global warming. As well as the environmental benefits, promoting energy efficient alternatives to traditional chillers would also set in motion Green Business models, through the creation of new jobs.
