Cities and buildings

Many causes of air pollution, such as vehicle emissions and industrial fumes, are more apparent outdoors, but air quality indoors can be equally poor. It can be a particularly acute problem in enclosed spaces like classrooms, with children being more vulnerable to the effects of pollution.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has described heat pumps as “indispensable” in efforts to cut emissions and has urged policy makers worldwide to put their weight behind the technology.

A new whitepaper from Danfoss, the Danish family-controlled engineering group, titled ‘The neglected demand side of the green equation’, delves into the details of how energy efficiency is an enabler of electrification.

The new Ecodan CAHV-R air-source heat pump from Mitsubishi Electric uses lower GWP A2L refrigerant R454C.

Vaillant UK has added a heat pump production line at its headquarters in Belper, Derbyshire.

The FIFA World Cup stadiums in Qatar combine passive cooling strategies with innovative air-conditioning technology to offer fans and players a more comfortable microclimate.

Mitsubishi Electric is to introduce a new room air conditioner in Japan which is said to automatically adjust to match your mood.

European industry group EPEE has called for a realistic HFC phase down in order to meet EU plans to move away from fossil fuels.

A US team has developed what is claimed to be a first-of-its-kind tool that can calculate how much carbon dioxide buildings and homes produce.

Industry body representing building control experts argues that heatwaves experienced over the summer have highlighted the growing value of better building management.

Japanese manufacturer Panasonic’s European division has announced the 2023 launch of its Aquarea L Series propane (R290) residential air-to-water heat pumps, boasting an improved design and A+++ efficiencies with a Seasonal COP (SCOP) of up to 5.12.

The German government is offering funding from its annual €600m energy research budget for projects aimed at decarbonising heating and cooling.

Chinese manufacturer Midea claims to have registered and published the world’s first Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for air conditioners with its XtremeSave series splits.

From 6-8 September 2022, Cool Contributions Fighting Climate Change Phase II (C4II) supported the Technology Training Week at the Cold Chain Innovation Hub (CCI) in the Philippines. The Hub is cooled by two R290 split air conditioning units provided in the first Phase of C4.

Daikin Europe NV, a subsidiary of Daikin Industries Limited, a global leader, present in more than 171 countries, shaping the future of heating, cooling, ventilation and refrigeration systems, reveals two new natural refrigerant products, the Monoblock of the future and CO₂ ZEAS range.

Panasonic Corporation announced that its Heating & Ventilation A/C Company is expediting its growth strategy for its air-to-water (A2W) heat pumps business in Europe. The company plans to release three new environmentally conscious models for homes (with different heating capacities) using natural refrigerants in Europe in May 2023, a first for a Japanese manufacturer, and to more than double the lineup by fiscal year ending in March 2026.

A group of trainers from the UK, Germany and Italy, in collaboration with manufacturer Clivet, have launched a joint training programme to increase awareness and build competency in the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants in split systems.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has delivered two R1234ze(E) centrifugal chillers with a total cooling capacity of 8,400RT to Singapore’s Marina Bay district cooling facility.

ICS Cool Energy has expanded its i-FH rental fleet with new water-to-water heat pumps running on R1234ze.

The City Advantage is a new Trane range of compact scroll water-cooled chillers and water-source heat pumps with lower GWP refrigerant R454B refrigerant.