The Green Cooling Initiative (GCI), a global nonprofit that promotes sustainable cooling worldwide, supported the training of local refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) technicians and the subsequent installation of 30 propane (R290) AC units in the Caribbean country of Grenada.
According to the GCI press release, the training and installations were part of a pilot venture of the Cool Contributions fighting Climate Change (C4) project commissioned and funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) to “demonstrate air conditioning with natural refrigerants as a future-proof solution.”
GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH) runs GCI, which is part of GIZ Proklima – an umbrella of worldwide green cooling projects funded by the German and French government, the EU and other donors since 1995.
“One focus area was the training of RAC technicians because green cooling appliances need a special skill set,” said Maja Schmauser, Junior Technical Advisor for GIZ Proklima, in a You Tube video outlining the project. “This is part of the technical and financial cooperation under the project to support Grenada in promoting green cooling.”
In February, an all-female team of RAC technicians from different companies installed an R-290 split AC unit in the office of Kerryne James, Grenada’s Minister of Climate Resilience Environment and Renewable Energy. “I want to extend my appreciation to the all-female team,” James said in the video, adding that she hopes their example encourages more young people – especially more women – to get involved and consider a career path in STEM fields.
“It is a good feeling to be part of a team of females to install an air conditioner for the Minister of Environment,” said Akelsha Cato, AC Technician.
In the video, James thanked GIZ for its donation. “We hope to strengthen this partnership to ensure necessary funds for us to phase out and phase down the ozone-depleting substances that we have in our government buildings.”
Green Cooling Network
To realize green cooling in global locations where technologies are limited, GCI operates the Green Cooling Network to bring together industry and governments via private-public partnerships, according to Philipp Denzinger, Project Manager of GCI. “We are aiming to establish supply chains between technology providers and the Global South,” he said in a recent R744.com article that invites manufacturers to join the Network.
Joining is easy and free of charge. The Network aligns manufacturers that “want to expand their markets globally or want to pilot something or establish supply chains to the Global South” with green cooling projects.
Such networking helps nations with low economic and industrial capabilities meet various international environmental protocols that address the global climate issue and greenhouse gas emissions, of which Grenada’s C4 project is an example. “Everybody that visits the minister will see that we demonstrate compliance with the Montreal Protocol,” said Merina Jessamy, Grenada’s Permanent Secretary in the Minister of Climate Resilience Environment and Renewable Energy.
The Network is far-reaching and well-established, with the GIZ Proklima group having trained over 600,000 technicians in green cooling technologies in more than 60 countries over the past 25 years, said Denzinger.
In addition to networking and training, GCI develops country-based GHG inventories and mitigation potentials and develops action plans and strategies. Projects are featured on GCI’s website and in quarterly newsletters. Stakeholders can subscribe here.
“We hope to strengthen this partnership to ensure necessary funds for us to phase out and phase down the ozone-depleting substances that we have in our government buildings.”
Kerryne James, Grenada Minister of Climate Resilience Environment and Renewable Energy
