COP28\u2019s Global Cooling Pledge is aimed at reducing cooling-related emissions
\nSmart buildings that can conserve energy have become a focus
\nASX-listed ClearVue has the technology to both generate electricity and conserve energy in buildings<\/p>\n
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On Tuesday, the UN launched the Global Cooling Pledge<\/strong> at COP28, signed by 63 countries, including Australia.<\/p>\n The Pledge aims to raise international cooperation to reduce cooling-related emissions by 2050, and increase the global average efficiency of new air conditioners by 50%.<\/p>\n The countries that have signed the Pledge will commit to reducing cooling emissions by 68% by 2050, saving $17 trillion in energy costs and eliminating billions of tonnes of CO2.<\/p>\n Sam\u00a0Ringwaldt<\/strong>,\u00a0the CEO of Conry\u00a0Tech<\/a>, a climate tech company, says extreme heat is a killer, and as the climate crisis worsens, cooling is rapidly becoming indispensable in even more parts of the world.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to ensure that widespread cooling uptake in developing nations doesn\u2019t heat our environment further and make the planet unliveable,\u201d said Ringwaldt.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s COP was the first event to address the staggering global energy use and emissions of cooling beyond refrigerants. And\u00a0although 63 signatories represents a strong start, it\u2019s unfortunate that India and China \u2013 the two biggest countries in the world \u2013 are not expected to sign.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is major blow to the UN\u2019s global cooling ambitions,\u201d says Ringwaldt.<\/p>\n \u201cFor hot developing countries with millions or billions citizens desperately seeking access to cooling, the pledge is not fit for purpose.<\/p>\n \u201cThey believe they cannot decrease net cooling emissions by 2050 given their current low cooling uptake. They have also baulked at the\u00a0perceived financial costs of installing modern, more energy efficient\u00a0cooling\u00a0technologies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Ringwaldt added that access to affordable efficient cooling needs to be a stronger focus in the Pledge.<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot rely\u00a0on G20 nations upgrading while everyone else adopts inefficient systems.<\/p>\n \u201cGovernments should be providing support to companies developing tech in this space, as it will save huge expenditure on grid upgrades as removing air con demand frees up energy for all the other sectors that are electrifying,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the biggest adopters of cooling today, such as the US and Australia, cannot possibly meet their net zero targets if they do not address\u00a0cooling\u00a0emissions.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Australia, cooling\u00a0consumes 25% of all electricity generated in the country and, in the summer months, puts immense strain on the grid.<\/p>\n \u201cIn 2019, extreme summer energy use contributed to blackouts in Victoria. We urgently need to reduce cooling electricity use and associated emissions,\u201d Ringwaldt said.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n AIRAH,<\/strong> which is the peak body representing the HVAC&R (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration)<\/strong> industry in Australia, has advocated to the federal government for a National\u00a0Cooling\u00a0Action Plan.<\/strong><\/p>\n AIRAH\u2019s new CEO,\u00a0Sami Zheng,<\/strong> said the HVAC&R sector uses almost a quarter of Australia\u2019s generated electricity, and contributes about 12% of our greenhouse gas emissions, so it warrants special attention.<\/p>\n \u201cA combination of market factors and climate requirements has seen us become one of world\u2019s biggest and earliest adopters of air-to-air heat pumps, such as split systems,\u201d Zheng said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are also at the front of the line when it comes to electrifying the built environment. And we will be dealing with extreme weather more than most other countries.\u201d<\/p>\n Zheng added that there are lots of ways Australia can reduce its cooling emissions. And many of these are not about new technology.<\/p>\n \u201cGood passive design and quality building envelopes are the starting points \u2013 if you can minimise\u00a0cooling and heating loads, you won\u2019t need to rely so heavily on\u00a0cooling\u00a0and heating equipment,\u201d Zheng said.<\/p>\n Maintaining equipment can also make a huge difference to its performance and longevity, she added.<\/p>\n \u201cMoreover, unlike other sectors, such as manufacturing, we have the technology to decarbonise now.<\/p>\n \u201cHVAC&R and the whole built environment must get to net zero well before 2050 to compensate for the harder-to-abate parts of our economy,\u201d Zheng said.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The debate has turned the spotlight on how to integrate solar energy into building design and reduce energy costs.<\/p>\n Solar energy, as we know, has long been utilised for heating and cooling in vernacular architecture, which is designed to harness or shield from the sun\u2019s energy. But new technologies are now desperately needed on a commercial scale.<\/p>\n Western Australia-based\u00a0ClearVue\u00a0Technologies (ASX:CPV)<\/a><\/strong> is one Aussie company with a novel technology that enables windows on buildings to generate electricity.<\/p>\n The company\u2019s patented glass technology sits within an activated interlayer between two panes of glass, and reduces energy use in a building.<\/p>\n It uses nano and micro particle technology to internally diffuse, redistribute, and reflect elements of the incoming light towards the edges of the glass panel, where it is collected by mono-crystalline silicon-based PV modules.<\/p>\n The PV modules are placed into a circuit, which is optimised to harvest energy rays coming from multiple directions (even when cloudy).<\/p>\n The company has been granted over 200 patents across the world for the technology.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Source: ClearVue<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Speaking to Stockhead<\/em>, ClearVue\u2019s CEO Martin Dial <\/strong>said the company\u2019s technology not only generates electricity, but it also conserves energy.<\/p>\n \u201cWe harvest electricity, but at the same time, we also conserve electricity because if you imagine, some of the sun radiation, particularly the infrared, which is the warm part of the rays, we don\u2019t let them into the buildings.<\/p>\n \u201cSo buildings equipped with our technology will have reduced cooling load,\u201d Deil told Stokchead.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd because of that, you need less power to drive the air conditioning units, which obviously provides building owners a tangible path to net zero buildings.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n ClearVue\u2019s window technology has been applied for use in the building and construction, as well agricultural industries.<\/p>\n In September, the company demonstrated that its Second Generation integrated glazing unit (IGU)<\/strong> design can be produced at mass-scale on an unmodified industry-standard production line, confirming the commercial viability of the product.<\/p>\n \u201cWe now have proven ability to scale our innovative smart building solutions,\u201d said Deil.<\/p>\n \u201cThis scalability now proves that our units can be produced at very high volume with very little time added, which makes it a commercially viable product.\u201d<\/p>\n In terms of the payback period, Deil says its clients will usually break even from their investment starting anywhere between three years to 15 years.<\/p>\n \u201cBut in the long run, it\u2019s not a matter of just these commercial aspects. These buildings will have to be net zero, by regulations.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd we obviously have one of the solutions to enable developers to arrive at these goals that are set by the policy makers, and it won\u2019t be a matter of option. It\u2019s a matter of must,\u201d said Deil.<\/p>\n Read more: Which major climate conference is turning into a circus this week<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The views, information, or opinions expressed in the interview in this article are solely those of the interviewee and do not represent the views of Stockhead. <\/em><\/p>\n Stockhead has not provided, endorsed or otherwise assumed responsibility for any financial product advice contained in this article.<\/em><\/p>\n \n<\/span><\/p>\n The post The Ethical Investor: COP28\u2019s Global Cooling Pledge puts spotlight on smart buildings\u2026 and this ASX tech company<\/a> appeared first on Stockhead<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Addressing cooling emissions not an option<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s all about building design<\/h2>\n
ClearVue\u2019s glass technology<\/h2>\n
\u2018It\u2019s a matter of must\u2019<\/h2>\n