CoolLIFE: breaking the vicious circle of air conditioning

Europe is already the fastest-warming continent and temperatures have once again topped 42° this summer. It’s no wonder we’re tempted to switch on the air conditioning — but the hotter we get and the more we crank up the air-con, the more the world heats up.  

With the number of room air conditioners (RACs) in the EU predicted to rise from less than 7 million in 1990 to more than 100 million in 2030, conventional space cooling only adds to the problem. That’s especially true in cities, where air conditioning can significantly worsen the urban heat island effect — one study in Paris found it could increase outside temperatures by up to 4°C.  

Currently, around 99% of all RACs in Europe use energy-hungry, inefficient vapour compression technology and refrigerants with a global warming potential up to 10 000 times higher than CO2. 

The €2.1 million, 3-year CoolLIFE project aims to break this vicious circle by reducing space cooling needs, improving energy efficiency, increasing the use of renewable energy and promoting new cooling technologies. 

‘There’s a lack of data, information and awareness among both professionals and householders about natural, passive and free space cooling including nature-based solutions,’ says CoolLIFE project coordinator Simon Pezzutto. ‘Space cooling demand in Europe has been steadily increasing for decades and is expected to accelerate in the future. We urgently need efficient and sustainable cooling solution to meet this demand.’ 

The project has 2 main strands: the CoolLIFE tool — which maps space cooling demand across the EU, with data on comfort levels, lifestyle and user behaviour in different countries, regions and cities — and the CoolLIFE knowledge hub, a digital gateway to space cooling-related data, resources and financing schemes. The CoolLIFE tool has already been tested in 3 municipalities across northern, central and southern Europe, and this year the project launched the CoolLiving campaign with advice on how Europeans can stay cool this summer, including top 5 tips to deal with heatwaves and growing indoor plants to keep your home cool. 

But the biggest challenge remains the construction of new buildings and the renovation of existing ones to ensure they are cool and comfortable without adding to climate change. ‘New buildings can be designed to limit their cooling needs, they can favour alternatives to air conditioning systems,’ says Jean-Sébastien Broc from the Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy (IEECP), one of the project partners. ‘One solution to reduce the cost of implementing measures in existing buildings can be to incorporate actions to reduce cooling needs into planned renovation projects.’ 

The CoolLIFE project was tested in various EU countries, and the results indicate a significant increase in space cooling demand by 2050, along with rising energy costs and a need for targeted policy measures. For example, in Austria: 

• Space cooling demand is projected to rise to over 7,000 GWh/year by 2050 without interventions, but could be limited to under 2,500 GWh/year by prioritising passive measures.
• Energy costs for space cooling are expected to increase significantly, reaching over €200 per MWh by 2050.
• There is a need for targeted policy measures to encourage the adoption of efficient and sustainable space cooling solutions, and to support the development of innovative and effective space cooling technologies. 

CoolLIFE is one of hundreds of LIFE projects dedicated to mitigating the impacts of climate change and helping EU citizens adapt to global heating. The project is aligned with the goals of the European Green Deal, EU Climate Adaptation Strategy, 2050 Long-term Climate Strategy and the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change. It also supports the Energy Efficiency Directive, the Fit for 55 package and the Renewable Energy Directive.