pdf presentation - Centro Studi Galileo

14th European Conference on
the latest technologies in:
Renewable energy,
applications in heating and cooling
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Edinburgh, United Kingdom
January 21, 2011
Didier COULOMB,
Director of the International Institute of Refrigeration
International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) - www.iifiir.org

INTRODUCTION (1)
The International Institute of Refrigeration:
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61 Member Countries
10 commissions
Private and corporate Members
Its mission
Its tools
Its participation in international discussions and events
e.g.: Cancun

INTRODUCTION (2)
Energy will remain a key issue in the future:
- because of global warming: we will need to dramatically reduce
our CO2 emissions
- because of its price: energy sources will be more and more costly
Heating and cooling of buildings is one of the main uses of energy:
direct or indirect via electricity consumption.
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For instance, refrigeration including air-conditioning represents 15%
(up to 20%) of worldwide electricity consumption

INTRODUCTION (3)
Thus we need:
New technologies -> the first session
New regulations -> the second session
And more generally, new policies
at a local level,
a national level,
a European level
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Development of technologies and implementation of
regulations are linked. This is especially the case with
renewable energy.

New heating and cooling systems (1)
1/ Goals
Future of the Rio Convention and the Kyoto Protocol:
CO2 is the main greenhouse gas (about 2/3). Current
international discussions focus on it.
1st goal: maximum global warming of +2°C in 2050
Consequences:
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-80% / 1990 CO2 eq emissions in 2050 for developed
countries + stabilization in developing/emerging countries
- 20% in 2020; -30/-40% / 1990 in 2030 for developed
countries

New heating and cooling systems (2)
2/ Commitments
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The European Union wants to be a « model »
-20% or - 30% in 2020 (compared to 1990 levels)
and 20% renewables (share of energy consumption)
20% energy savings (compared to trend)
Energy efficiency,
energy labelling,
overall energy solutions in housing…

New heating and cooling systems (3)
First issue:
What is the best scale: a region, a country, a district, a building, a flat?
The sum of individual best solutions the best overall solution
Smart grids in electricity, smart networks with district cooling and
heating can optimize investments and uses.
For instance, China is increasingly interested in district cooling, for
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which Europe has good examples (and China, even if it is the world
greatest greenhouse gas emitter, it is implementing a lot of efforts and
could become a model!)

New heating and cooling systems (4)
Second issue:
Renewable energy: what is it?
We need to consider whole systems, from birth to grave: e.g.,
disagreement about biofuels, about photovoltaic cells…
LCCP should be the best benchmark; however, it is generally very
complicated and different for each technology and use.
Example: heat pumps based on renewable heat (ground or air).
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- But they generally need electricity, which is mostly nowadays
produced using fossil fuels.
- But they need refrigerants, which can be potent greenhouse gases if
released into the atmosphere.

…/…
New heating and cooling systems (4)
Thus, we need good coefficients of performance, valuable
benchmark tools to assess the whole energy efficiency of
systems and good coordination within various regulations.
For instance, even if we still use refrigerants which are
greenhouse gases for heat pumps or district cooling, these can
finally be good environmentally friendly solutions. They are also
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easy to implement. Use of heat pumps is increasing fast in Europe
and Asia.

New heating and cooling systems (5)
Third issue:
The cost: what is acceptable?
Cost of investment: new or old buildings, new or old equipment…
e.g.: replacement of old refrigerators
Running costs: time for return on investments?
What are the priorities, taking into account State or individual budgets?
Saving energy is generally the easiest and the most economic way to be more
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environmentally friendly: cf. IIR Guide « Saving energy in Refrigeration, Air
Conditioning and Heat Pump Technology » (written by a Scotsman!)
Design, components of equipment…
Energy storage, free cooling

New equipment
preferably, new technology.
However, certain systems are already available, others are
still under development, in particular:
Heat pumps:
A few figures: the potential for reducing CO2 emissions
would be between 6 and 16% of worldwide CO2 emissions in
residential, commercial and industrial applications.
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Conferences on this subject: next IIR conference in Padua,
Italy, on April 5-7, 2011 « Sources/Sinks alternative to the
outside Air for Heat Pump & Air-Condtioning Techniques
(Alternative Sources – AS) » and on April 6-8, 2011,
« International Sorption Heat Pump Conference (ISHPC11) »

Solar energy:
a lot of developments in Europe, as well as in countries in
Africa, Southern Asia, Australia…
Solar cooling applications, particularly in air conditioning
(Southern Europe) but also in refrigeration in African
countries.
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Papers presented at IIR conferences, Review Articles in
the Bulletin of the IIR, articles in the Centro Studi Galileo
brochure « Cooling without warming », IIR « Guide to
Solar Refrigerators for Remote Areas and Warm
Countries »,…

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CONCLUSION
Priorities for the refrigeration and air-conditioning sector:
- The refrigerants issue negotiations: at an international level on HFCs,
review of the F-gas regulation in Europe and some national regulations
on fluorinated gases. We need a clear vision of the future, with
progressive steps in order to implement new technologies using
refrigerants.
e.g. heat pumps using fluorinated gases/natural refrigerants,…
- Long-term policy on regulations and incentives regarding renewables in
Europe, particularly for heat pumps and solar energy. European goal is
clear: 20% renewables/total energy production in 2020. Current long-term
national plans will allow Europe to meet this goal, provided that concrete
decisions on incentives for investment (still necessary) remain stable.
- Saving energy thanks to more efficient systems and use of renewables
must be combined.
We need to be open to a broad range of solutions:
Think global, act local
Thank you
For more information: www.iifiir.org