VIENNA, 22 June 2020  - The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has launched its latest guidance document supporting domestic and commercial refrigeration manufacturers seeking to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The project is funded by the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP) and is supported by the International Copper Association (ICA).

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the study will be launched through a webinar which will present the outcomes of the project and provide insights into how to use the guidance document, analyze changes in manufacturing, evaluate technical and financial options for energy-efficient refrigeration equipment and calculate associated emission reductions. The webinar will be organized by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)

22 July 2020, 15:00-16:00 CEST

Click here free of charge to register.

Recordings will be available on ASHRAE Global Training Centre website following the webinar.

This new study sets out a methodology and tools for manufacturers to understand cost and net benefits for different energy-efficient refrigeration design options and the required manufacturing line upgrades.

The COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted cold value chains which are critical for the distribution of foods and vaccines. The refrigeration and air conditioning sector is currently responsible for around 17% of global electricity consumption and, in some developing countries, even exceeds 40% of the national electricity demand. In order to reduce the impact on health and the environment, it is vital to improve the energy efficiency of the refrigeration systems and to adopt refrigerants that have zero or low climate impact.

As an implementing agency of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, UNIDO is supporting its Member States with the phase-out of the use of ozone-depleting and global warming substances in the cooling sector. The amendment to the Montreal Protocol in 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda, has led to the creation of the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program which aims to help increase energy efficiency of cooling in developing countries.

UNIDO’s K-CEP funded project, “Assessment of incremental capital and operating costs for improved EE in domestic, commercial and retail refrigeration”, looked at manufacturers in five countries and characterized them using a Manufacturer Development Index (MDI) which takes into account: manufacturer development capacity, manufacturer production volume, manufacturer proximity to and relationship with component's original equipment manufacturers (OEM), market maturity, and a country's energy efficiency score.

Manufacturers are now able to ascertain which changes to their offerings can be taken cost effectively.The simulation software, named Commercial Refrigeration Analysis (CERA)[1], gives visual modelling of the changes in components, the benefit in energy efficiency and the cost involved in promoting green design and thus keeping the product competitive in the long term. A record of the changes made, enable scenarios and costings to be formed into a “board room ready” style presentation.

“Many companies including those in Article 5 countries are missing suitable guidance and opportunities for knowledge transfer when trying to meet global climate goals. This guidance document introduces practical ways to calculate and cost the changes needed for their product and factory footprint to comply with both international agreements and national legislation,” said Fukuya Iino from UNIDO’s Department of Environment.

Lead author and presenter, Omar Abdelaziz, a member of ASHRAE, and Assistant Professor of Thermofluids at Egypt’s Zewail City of Science and Technology, highlighted that “the outcomes of the project provide insight into how to analyze changes in manufacturing, evaluate technical and financial options for energy efficient products and calculate associated emission reductions”.

He added, “We hope manufacturers and service providers that need help to change their products and factories in today’s competitive marketplace can rely on the project guidance document and consultants familiar with the work to improve products energy efficiency and reduce emissions.”

For more information about this press release or if you need assistance to register for the webinar please contact Nigel Cotton at nigel.cotton @ brentwoodtech.co.uk

[1]CERA is originally developed by the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory of the United States Department of Energy (DOE)