Refrigerators and ACs are great for keeping people safe. They also heat the planet. As cooling demands rise globally, scientists are developing eco-friendly solutions.
It was a historic day for the environment movement more than 30 year ago when all 198 nations agreed on something. They signed on to theMontreal ProtocolA pact was made to eliminate a list of chemicals that harm the Earth’s ozone layer. Chief among these were the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons used by the cooling and refrigeration industry. Alternatives such as hydrofluorocarbons or HFCs were quickly discovered.
Scientists have realized that the Montreal Protocol of 1987 may have traded an immediate problem in exchange for a long-term problem. Although HFCs don’t cause the same damage as CFCs to the ozone layer, the warming potential of the chemicals is hundreds to thousands times greater than that of CO.2Their growing global use is cause for concern.
The 20th century industrial revolution saw a huge boom in North America and Europe’s refrigeration and air-conditioning industry. As developing countries boost their economies, countries like Nigeria, China, India, and India are experiencing a boom in demand for these appliances.
According to the World Bank, approximately 3.6 billion cooling equipment are used today for cooling buildings and refrigerating foods and other items like medicines.2020 ReportAccording to the United Nations Environment Program, this number is expected rise to 9.5 million by 2050. This figure would also be staggeringly high if every person who needs cooling services could have them. One estimate.
Knowable MagazineShelie Miller, an environmental engineering student at the School for Environment and Sustainability of the University of Michigan, was interviewed. Miller co-authored an essay in the 2021. Annual Review of Environment and ResourcesThat was examined The global demand for refrigeration/cooling is increasingThe effects of the greenhouse gas emissions on the environment and potential solutions. This conversation has been edited to be more concise and clear.
This topic may seem strange to many people. Why should we be concerned with the refrigeration and cooling industries?
Cooling services are rarely mentioned when people think about the environmental issues that must be addressed. It is an important issue that isn’t being addressed. Cooling service is a very broad category that refers to temperature-controlled environments. It is a broad category that includes the food, transport and building industries. It has a huge effect when you look at global energy use and greenhouse gases emissions.
The industry is expected to grow at an exponential rate in developing countries. It is important to realize the industry’s overall impact.
How does the cooling/refrigeration industry impact the environment
It takes a lot of energy to cool an environment, no matter if it is a refrigerator in the house or an air conditioner. Our electricity grids are heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Therefore, any energy that is used to lower temperature also emits greenhouse gases. A lot of the environmental damage is caused by the enormous amount of energy consumed, which is largely made from fossil fuels.
When we talk about cooling spaces, we need something called refrigerants. Refrigerants are chemicals used to reduce temperatures. Conventional refrigerants have a high potential for global warming.
Even though we only use a small amount, the refrigerants’ impact on the atmosphere when they leak out into it has a major impact upon climate.
CFCs, which were once used in refrigerants, had a devastating effect on the ozone layer. We banned them and created new chemicals. Were there only trade issues?
One of the most important environmental achievements is the ban on certain ozone-depleting chemicals. The Montreal Protocol, which is one of the most important environmental conventions, bans the use of ozone depleting chemicals in the refrigerant sector. We came up with hydrofluorocarbons (or HFCs) as replacements. This did a tremendous and effective job in reducing ozone loss, but at the expense of increasing global warming.
So we traded ozone destruction potential for high greenhouse gases emissions. The International Agreement for the Protection of Ozone Depletion Potential (The TheAmendment KigaliNation are working together to address the problems associated with refrigerants and greenhouse gas emissions. We are now looking for alternative refrigerants with lower global warming potential.
What other refrigerants do we talk about? Could you give me some examples?
Some of them may be carbon dioxide. However, carbon dioxide can be used as an alternate refrigerant using the thermodynamic properties and heat pump technology methods. CO2High-compressed CO is used in -based cooling systems 2You can then adjust the pressure of the gas. Reduced pressure causes the gas to expand and absorb heat. It is not like other common refrigerants which can have greenhouse gases potentials orders of magnitude higher than CO. 2Any CO 2These cooling systems’ leakage has minimal warming potential.
Are we looking to industrialize the process of using other refrigerants in the future? Are there any existing processes? Or is this still in the development phase
These coolants are definitely in demand. They can be very efficient. There is one problem though: a lot of the equipment we have has these HFCs. Even if we have other refrigerants that can be used in new equipment, there is still a large amount of refrigerants in buildings, air conditioners, and refrigerators. This causes a major warming problem, especially when they are near the end of their useful life.
Why aren’t you more interested in the development of this industry for developing countries? What is the expected growth of the refrigeration industry in these regions?
There is a lot to be worried about in the cooling services industry. Not only are there huge expected growth in one, but also in two important sectors. The first concern is in building cooling. This includes air conditioning spaces. The second is product refrigeration, which keeps food products such as meats, vegetables, and vaccines cool throughout their supply chain.
Both of these services are experiencing or will experience rapid growth in developing nations in the next decade. We will see huge growth in environmental impact if we do not address cooling services as an entire industry and reduce their overall environmental impacts.
If you think about household air conditioning, many people in the developing world don’t have access to it. However, we are facing an increasingly warm climate so cooling services will be essential for safety and health.
People are becoming more wealthy and will pay more for cooling services. Central systems that heat entire buildings and homes are the most efficient type of air conditioner. Unfortunately, this is often at a high price and requires extensive retrofits to existing buildings. In developing countries, we will see a lot more room air-conditioning units installed in major cities.
Are there other environmental impacts we should be concerned about, besides the warming ones?
Global warming potential is often associated with the big ones. However, any activity that relies on electricity has all the associated impacts. If you are talking about electricity grids relying largely on coal you have a lot more localized air quality emission; there are mining emissions associated coal mining; and all the other air quality issues that come with the burning of coal.
What do you think the problem is? What extent does the refrigeration/air conditioning sector damage the environment in your opinion?
It comes back to this idea: Cooling rooms requires a lot energy. Even highly efficient refrigerators and air conditioners need a lot of energy in order to work. There will always be negative environmental effects associated with expanding cooling services if we don’t have a clean energy grid.
Even though you have a clean electricity grid, the refrigerant emissions associated cooling are still present. While you cannot eliminate global warming potential (at least with current stock), you can reduce grid emissions.
What interventions can we make to this system?
They are always placed in two separate bins to me. One directly impacts technology, the other indirectly.
Alternative refrigerants can be developed to replace high-potential refrigerants. We can also find ways of reducing the energy required to provide cooling services. This could be done by using more energy-efficient equipment, or changing consumer behaviours to create a warmer environment in residential and office spaces.
To reduce the use of air conditioning technology, indirect interventions can be made by looking at the built environment. This can be achieved by better building design and reducing urban heat islands effects. It can also be done with different air conditioning and refrigeration loads depending on the time of day or actual need. There are many ways to make refrigeration and air conditioning more efficient, not only in terms of the technology but also in terms managing energy.
Are there any companies, industries, or systems that already use these types of innovative techniques? Can you give me some examples?
Direct interventions are very promising. The Kigali Amendment to Montreal Protocol is a way to phase out high global-warming-potential refrigerants and to promote low global warming-potential refrigerants. It will take some time, but we will eventually get these new refrigerants on the market.
Energy-efficient appliances are second. There are certifications and manufacturing labels that can be applied to household refrigerators and room air conditioners depending on where they are manufactured. The Energy Star is the American symbol. They have a variety certifications and labels in Europe and Asia to show consumers that they are less energy-consuming.
Smart intervention is also possible, such as smart thermostats that can adjust the air conditioning to suit the time of day and the occupancy of spaces.
Do you see a focus from governments or other sectors on this industry. Are these issues being addressed at major climate conferences like Conference of Parties
Cooling services are often overlooked as an industry. Cooling services are available in many sectors so there is a bit of a blind spot. It is often lost in the shuffle. This industry is not often discussed at these meetings.
Our group is trying to emphasize the importance of cooling services.
Hmm… Hmm… You also mentioned that reducing food waste can help reduce the demand for refrigeration services. Could you briefly explain?
When we think about reducing technology’s environmental impact, we often tend to focus only on the technology. However that is not always the most beneficial intervention. Sometimes we need to look at the reasons for using the service. That allows you to think through the different sectors that cooling services can support.
Food is a very environmentally-impactful sector. Food safety and freshness is maintained by the cold chain, which is refrigeration within a food supply chain. Globally, 40 percent of food is wasted. Lack of cooling services is a major reason why food waste occurs in developing countries.
You can save energy by reducing food waste. Food that is not going to be eaten will no longer need cooling. While this is not something that most people would consider, it reduces the need for cooling services. You can reduce the environmental impact of agriculture and the services associated with the entire food supply chain by reducing food waste.
Are there any promising companies or startups that are already making eco-friendly refrigeration systems?
Some of the largest refrigeration companies are already thinking about new models. District level cooling is an example of this. This new system, which is not based on many room-based air conditioners but a centralized system, aims to cool multiple houses at once.
Startups are investing heavily in food coatings to increase shelf life and decrease the need for refrigeration. They also have improved artificial intelligence in sensing systems for refrigeration and air conditioning. Instead of setting the air-conditioner to activate at a specific time and temperature, sensors can adjust the temperature based on the number of people in a space. You won’t cool areas that don’t have people. We can use better sensing technology on products to detect food safety issues and security issues. Also, we can ensure that different products maintain certain temperatures.
Nice. How can scientists, researchers and engineers contribute more to solving the problems associated this industry?
Although there is a lot of work needed from a policy and industry perspective, individual households and individuals may feel that they cannot do much. It is important to identify things households can do to make an impact and feel like they are contributing to solving a problem. It can be very impactful to promote energy-efficient devices and reduce household food waste.
Is your team interested in learning more about this topic?
My opinion is that the environmental impact of cooling systems is a very important topic, and one that our group continues exploring. We are very interested in the intersection between cooling services and avoidable foods waste. What environmental impacts will it have on the environment if the cold chain expands, especially in Africa, which doesn’t have a well-developed cold network?
You can increase food security and extend shelf life. You are also increasing energy consumption in the food industry. Is there any way we can bring the benefits from the cold chain to developing nations without having an adverse impact on the environment? My research group is trying answer this question.
This article first appeared in
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