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Coo­ling Pro­gram for Sou­thern Af­ri­ca

Image: © nikomsolftwaer/Stock.Adobe.com

The number of Air Conditioners (ACs) in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region will increase from 5.4 million to around 17.7 million by 2030. The growing use of ACs will lead to increasing greenhouse gas emissions due to the fossil-fuel-based electricity used by most ACs and the fluorinated gases (F-gases) that are mainly used as refrigerants in ACs and cause substantial emissions as they leak. Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving energy efficiency in the cooling sector in the SADC region is imperative. However, there are major obstacles to achieving the sustainable transformation of the sector, such as the inaccessibility and high cost of energy-efficient and F-gas-free ACs (Green ACs).

Objectives and Implementation

The aim of the programme is to develop an implementation-ready support programme that prepares for the introduction of Green ACs in the following countries of the SADC region: Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia and South Africa. Therefore, framework conditions to pilot market-based approaches according to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement will be created. The programme will work on political, contractual, regulatory, technological, and economic framework conditions.

 

The following implementation actions will be carried out by CooPSA:

- Conclusion of bilateral preliminary agreements to transfer Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) as a basis for carbon financing and quantification of emission reductions

- Preparation of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) as well as energy labels for ACs

- Design of an AC replacement program introducing natural refrigerants by creating and increasing the supply and demand side in the region and developing a concept for the end-of-life-management of ACs

- Development of a sustainable financing instrument in accordance with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement

The target group of CooPSA includes: political decision makers, financial institutions, technology suppliers & importers, RAC associations, training institutions.

Outlook

The current programme (2021-2022) is the preparatory phase for the subsequent implementation programme, scheduled to start in 2023. If both programme phases are successfully implemented, significant greenhouse gas reduction and energy savings are expected as well as co-benefits, such as the creation of new skilled jobs and easier market penetration of natural refrigerants.

 

 

Com­mis­sio­ning Par­ty and Im­ple­men­ting Agen­cies

  • The programme is commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action of Germany.
  • The implementing agencies of CooPSA are Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and GFA Consulting Group.

Part­ner coun­tries

La­test News

Ad-hoc Working Group Mee­ting of Co­oP­SA in South Af­ri­ca

13.02.2023 , News :

On the 31st of January 2023 representatives of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) and the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) met to discuss for the first time with GIZ and GFA Consulting Group the status quo and way forward of the Cooling Program for Southern Africa (CooPSA).
 

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CooPSA (opens in a new window) is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) of Germany. The project kicked-off in the beginning of 2022 and aims to prepare framework conditions of an Air Conditioner (AC) replacement programme in Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia and South Africa. Therefore, Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) as well as energy labels for ACs will be nationally adopted. Furthermore, an AC replacement programme introducing Green ACs, using the natural refrigerant R290 and which are highly energy efficient, will be designed. A sustainable financing instrument will be developed which considers carbon finance provided under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

 

During the ad-hoc meeting, an exchange on the project and its status quo took place by sharing preliminary findings on MEPS and labelling for ACs as well as training approaches for AC trainers and technicians and by discussing preliminary results with respect to GHG baseline establishment and the financing structure. In addition, further guidance to the project implementing team for advancing the work was given. The meeting comprised 20 participants (5 virtual and 15 in presence).