Space cooling and the importance of energy efficiency

Space cooling in buildings accounts for a substantial portion of energy consumption, highlighting the critical need for energy-efficient cooling solutions. Implementing efficient technologies and behavioural adjustments not only reduces energy demands but also mitigates environmental impact.

In an exclusive interview at European Sustainable Energy Week, we spoke to Giulia Conforto, a researcher at EThink Energy Research, about the CoolLIFE project. She spoke about the escalating demand for space cooling in buildings and the important role of energy efficiency in the energy transition.

CoolLIFE, is part of the LIFE programme's clean energy transition initiative, dedicated to addressing the surging need for space cooling while promoting sustainable options. Conforto shed light on the project's multifaceted approach, emphasizing the development of a comprehensive knowledge hub encompassing technologies, user behaviours, policies, and financing programs.

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"It will develop a knowledge hub touching on technologies, and user behaviours, policies and financing programs. It also will develop an open access user-friendly tool to estimate what the best options are in the region," she explains.

Conforto underlined that energy efficiency stands as the most significant and cost-effective solution amid the ongoing energy crisis. She noted that before exploring alternative energy sources, the focus should be on minimising unnecessary energy usage through sufficiency and sobriety.

"Energy efficiency is the biggest, cheapest and most effective solution that we have to the current energy crisis..." she insists.

Watch the video interview to find out about other objectives of the CoolLIFE programme, .