Sustainable refrigeration technology: University of Bayreuth hands over new CO2 air conditioning system to Kulmbach Vocational School Centre
The Centre for Energy Technology (ZET) at the University of Bayreuth has handed over a CO2-powered air conditioning system to the Kulmbach Vocational School Centre (BSZ) for use in its operations and teaching. The system, which was developed on the campus of the University of Bayreuth, releases considerably less greenhouse gas than conventional air conditioning systems, and exemplifies the great ecological potential of this type of system. As a demonstrator, it will serve vocational training in the field of air conditioning and refrigeration technology in Kulmbach. The project was funded by the Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection.
The construction of the plant on the campus of the University of Bayreuth was part of the project “ZukunftKlima – Entwicklung zukunftsfähiger Klimatisierungskonzepte” (FutureClimate – Development of Sustainable Air Conditioning Concepts) at the Centre for Energy Technology (ZET) of the University of Bayreuth. The Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection funded the project to the tune of approximately € 240,000 for three years. The research work concentrated on the use of environmentally friendly refrigerants for air conditioning in buildings. The focus was on the use of CO2 as a working medium in decentralised air conditioning systems.
In comparison with the conventional refrigerant R410a, the ecological balance of CO2 air-conditioning systems is most impressive. Assuming weather and climate conditions typical for Germany, the greenhouse gas emissions of air conditioning systems can be reduced by around 26 percent through the use of CO2. If the currently forecast expansion of renewable energies in the electricity sector is taken as a basis, the CO2 air-conditioning system will even make it possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 49 percent in 2050 compared to the current state of the art. Moreover, the studies at ZET showed that control strategies used in the operation of air conditioning systems can significantly influence greenhouse gas emissions.