Green Cooling Initiative

Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV)
Partner countries: Bangladesh, Colombia, Honduras, Kenya, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam (with regional hubs in the highlighted countries)

Map with partner countries

Partner Countries

Rising temperatures and population, progressing urbanisation and economic growth are driving up the worldwide cooling demand, particularly in developing countries. But many of the refrigerants and insulating foams currently in use are harmful to the environment. In 2023, it is estimated that the refrigeration industry accounted for around ten to twelve per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Objective

The Green Cooling Initiative contributes to raising international awareness of the significant mitigation potential associated with environmentally- and climate-friendly cooling technologies. In its third phase, GCI supports its partners worldwide by accelerating the transformation of the cooling sector towards energy efficient technologies using natural refrigerants. This includes policy advise, technology transfer and capacity building. 

Green Cooling is the most viable way to meet the growing cooling demand and protect our climate at the same time. It is based on two principals: using natural refrigerants with an ultra-low global warming potential and highly energy-efficient appliances. Ideally, the energy comes from renewable sources. All measures should be complemented by passive cooling, e.g. shading, surrounding vegetation and good insulation.

Approach

The work of the Green Cooling Initiative III is based on three pillars:

  • Policy advise: We support key actors with access to Green Cooling instruments and arguments, offer demand-based support services and strengthen networking between stakeholders. We shed light on appropriate financing mechanisms.
  • Technology transfer: We pilot innovative Green Cooling technologies in the partner countries and in cooperation with the private sector. We therefore demonstrate their technical and economic feasibility and spark interest in further upscaling. 
  • Capacity building: We train policy makers, refrigeration trainers and technicians on the handling and characteristics of natural refrigerants. In addition, we offer needs-based trainings.

Moreover, the Green Cooling Initiative III recognises that exchange between technology suppliers and users, as well as between the industry, public institutions and civil society is important for the promotion of said technologies. One of the main goals is therefore to create global and regional networks with representatives from different sectors (see Network).

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Targeted policy advice based on Cooling Strategies will support partner countries in the implementation of cooling technology standards and measures, whilst capacity building will allow them to sustainably manage their technology transformations. Voluntary private sector contributions will increase transformational readiness and will generate public-private partnerships. Proposals to financing institutions can provide replicable funding models and instruments to facilitate access to Green Cooling technology.

Bildergalerie

The phase-out and phase-down of F-gases and the increase in energy efficiency in the RAC sector make it easier to achieve ambitious NDCs, which were defined by UNFCCC COP21 as the basis for global GHG emission savings. So far, Ghana is one of the few African countries that has integrated F-gases into its NDC to a limited extent. GCI advised Ghana on this by drawing up a GHG inventory of the RAC sector, on the basis of which a Cooling Strategy for emission reduction measures was drafted.

Latest Publications

Registration Open: Webinar on Photovoltaic-powered Air Conditioning in Buildings 

30.05.2022 , News :

On 9 June 2022 at 10:30 am (CET) GIZ Proklima will host a one-hour webinar on Photovoltaic-powered Air Conditioning in Buildings: Market trends and economic analysis.

© shutterstock_167181932 / Mariusz Niedzwiedzki (opens enlarged image)© shutterstock_167181932 / Mariusz Niedzwiedzki

Space cooling in buildings is characterized by enormous growth rates due to increasing ambient temperatures, growing population and urbanisation. Today, cooling in buildings is largely dominated by mid to low appliance energy efficiency levels, highly climate-damaging refrigerants as well as fossil-fuel based electricity supply, generating huge amounts of GHG emissions. Solar energy sourced to operate efficient air conditioners using climate-friendly natural refrigerants can play a critical role in significantly decoupling GHG emissions from a rapidly growing cooling demand in buildings. Further, driven by trends such as declining costs of solar PV and energy storage equipment, on the one hand, and efficiency improvements of AC technologies, on the other hand, solar-powered cooling is gaining an increasing technological and economic potential.

 

Against this background, we will present and discuss the results of our study which covers:

  • global market trends of solar PV-powered split-type AC systems and its technical components
  • economic analyses carried out in thirteen partner countries worldwide
  • case study on solar AC by Médecins Sans Frontières

Agenda

TopicSpeaker
Global drivers of PV-powered air conditioning and introduction to its technical components (15’) Philipp Munzinger, GIZ Proklima 
Economic analysis in 13 countries (10’) Prof. Paul Kohlenbach, SOLEM Consulting 
Case study, Médecins Sans Frontières, Haiti (10’)  Anja Werntges, GIZ Proklima  
Q&A (25’) All

Save the Date

Date
9 June 2022
10:30 - 11:30 AM (CET)
Registration
complete the form below
Place
Fully virtually
Organizers
Proklima

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