“Heat Pumps to Save the World”
Belgrade, 1-3 December 2021 - As part of Serbia’s HCFC phase-out management plan (HPMP), the Ministry of Environmental Protection, SMEITS / KGH and UNEP OzonAction organized a technology roundtable and an exhibition booth on ozone layer-friendly, climate-friendly, and energy-efficient technologies. The intention was to raise awareness on alternative technology options including alternatives to high-global warming HFCs.
Following Serbia’s ratification of the Kigali Amendment in October 2021, the shift to energy-efficient and climate-friendly technologies has become even more important. Serbia committed itself to reducing its HFC consumption (measured in CO2 equivalent tonnes) 80% below the baseline by the year 2045 – in less than 24 years.
The first control measure will be the freeze of the HFC consumption at the baseline level starting in 2 years (2024-2028) and the 10% reduction below the baseline level starting in 7 years (2029-2034). If fully implemented by all countries, the Kigali Amendment is expected to avoid 0.4 degrees of global warming in the year 2100. This would be a significant contribution to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees by the end of the century.
Serbia’s refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat-pump sector will play a crucial role in achieving this objective, through promoting alternative and energy-efficient technologies, enhanced training to ensure a skilled workforce able to handle new refrigerants safely, good servicing practices to avoid leakages, certification of service technicians, recovery and recycling, and much more.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection in cooperation with key stakeholders, our partner agency UNIDO and UNEP OzonAction will join hands to prepare Serbia’s HFC phase-down strategy, or so-called Kigali HFC implementation plan (KIP). During Session 4 on the HFC policy & legislative options in Serbia and the European F-gas legislation, Ms. Bojana Radeski, Head of the Ozone Depletion Group, Ministry of Environmental Protection of Serbia, explained the current and future activities, policy measures and legislation to be put in place, including the HFC quota system.
The presentations during the technology roundtable (Session 3) focused on the wide range of RACHP applications using natural refrigerants, and explained the potential of integrated cooling, heating, and hot water production to reduce the climate impact of heating and cooling:
1. Natural refrigerants in all applications. is it possible? by Armin Hafner
and Risto Ciconkov
2. Why large industrial heat pumps and where are they used? by Alexander Cohr Pachai
3. Polyvalent units fitted with low GWP refrigerant for sustainable cooling & heating in modern buildings by Emiliano Pellis
4. Benefits and reliability of air-to-water heat pumps in residential applications, using R-290 refrigerant by Luca Brotto
5. Heat pumps in service of residential heating decarbonization by Hrvoje Krapanic
REHVA organized a workshop on “Heat pumps with natural refrigerants and multiple renewable sources for the decarbonization of multi-family buildings” with the following presentations:
1. Trigeneration systems based on heat pumps with natural refrigerants and multiple renewable energy sources by Dani Carbonell
2. Heat pumps with natural refrigerants and multiple renewable energy sources for the decarbonization of multi-family buildings – social acceptance of trigeneration heat pump systems by Thomas Friedrich
3. Heat pumps with natural refrigerants by Raphael Gerber
4. Experimental results of the dual-source R290 heat pump system by Xabier Peña Anton
Integrated heat pump applications can use natural refrigerants and renewable energy sources. They are energy-efficient and expected to replace boilers for heating and hot water production in the future. Some experts believe that “Future cities will be heat pump cities”. They will also play a crucial role in electric vehicles. It is a growing sector and new heat pump installations should avoid using high global warming fluids. Heat pump related policies, legislation and strategy elements should be incorporated into HPMPs and KIPs. Heat pumps alone will not save the world, but they can make a difference.
The recordings, exhibition photos and the KGH journal with the Ozone Pages are available from the conference website:
1. Program recordings
2. Exhibition photos
3. KGH journal (4th quarter 2021)
Congratulations to SMEITS / KGH for the professional and successful organization of the congress and exhibition, and its 50th anniversary, and congratulations also to the Government of Serbia, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and its Ozone Depletion Group for the ratification of the Kigali Amendment.
For more information, contact: halvart.koppen[at]un.org
