Promoting energy-efficient cooling (EE-Cool) in India

Project description

Title: Energy-Efficient Cooling (EE-Cool)
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)
Country: India
Lead executing agency: Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power, Government of India
Overall term: 2019 to 2023

Context

The Indian government has developed the India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) to come up with an integrated approach across all affected sectors over the next 20 years. Its aim is to reduce direct and indirect GHG emissions caused by cooling systems. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India (MoEF & CC), the ICAP was drawn up in close cooperation with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power, Government of India (BEE) in a stakeholder process that involved Indian industry, civil society institutions and research institutes. The BEE, as the national energy efficiency authority, is responsible for implementing the energy efficiency component of the India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP). In addition, the BEE is responsible for implementing the National Energy Efficiency Mission under the 2008 Indian National Climate Action Plan.

Objective

In the ICAP implementation framework, the conditions for using energy-efficient district cooling systems that operate with natural refrigerants with either low or zero global-warming potential have improved.

Approach

Technical, economic and affordable solutions for reducing GHG emissions caused by district cooling systems are to be analysed and evaluated. The target groups will be informed about the results and actively involved in the ICAP implementation strategy. The proposed measures are compatible with multilateral agreements that aim to protect the climate and the ozone layer. A strategic roadmap setting out clear political framework conditions and goals is to be developed and introduced into the political process by the BEE (Output 1). At the same time, business models are to be developed in cooperation with relevant actors, in particular the private sector (for example, building developers, architects, manufacturers of central cooling systems, energy service companies) together with the framework conditions required for their successful implementation (Output 2).  If BEE brings the solutions developed as part of Output 1 and 2 into the political process and decides to apply for international funding (e.g. NAMA Facility, Global Environment Facility) for its implementation, then the project will also advise the Indian partners on the application process (Output 3).