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ProCold: Empowering stakeholders to deliver highly energy efficient professional cold products

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ProCold (ProCold: Empowering stakeholders to deliver highly energy efficient professional cold products)

Período documentado: 2016-08-01 hasta 2018-01-31

Empowering stakeholders to deliver highly efficient professional cold products

20 years ago, the first EU regulations for cold products in the domestic sector came into force: today, on the energy label, A+ is the lowest class admitted on the market. Although it cannot always compare directly, in the professional and commercial sector, cold products seem to be far less efficient: in 2015 there were 12 times less plug-in commercial and professional product in use than household models, but the household sector only used 2 times more energy (84 TWh/a against 43 TWh/a). Depending on product categories, savings of 50 to 70% could be reached through well targeted and well implemented regulations.
The EU has acknowledged this situation: first regulations for professional products were adopted in 2015 and work is under progress for commercial products, though it was delayed. Together, these product categories are the first professional products covered by the Ecodesign and Labelling Directives. As this regulating process is new to a sector in which procurement chains are complex and split incentives are common, all stakeholders need to be accompanied – The ProCold activities have been developed to support all stakeholders active in this sector, and specifically cover plugged-in refrigerated storage cabinets, refrigerated display cabinets, beverage coolers, ice cream freezers, vending machines, wine coolers and minibars.

ProCold had the objectives of gathering, checking and disseminating neutral information on products’ energy consumption, on refrigerants’ global warming potential, and on saving potentials depending on products. Stakeholders were therefore motivated to take action, i.e. produce / procure / support through policies more energy efficient and climate friendly models.
ProCold has used five main means of action:

1) It continuously studied the market, identified the most energy efficient models using the most climate-friendly refrigerants, and published this information on-line to increase market transparency. Between 2015 and2018, the number of manufacturers able to deliver ProCold complying cabinets grew from 11 to 30, the number of models proposed grew from 85 to 170 and the number of product categories analysed by ProCold grew from 11 to 16.
2) It participated in policy developments for professional and commercial cold products, regularly meeting and providing input to the relevant European institutions.
3) It identified key stakeholders at the European and national levels (1 195 organisations and institutions were contacted) and reached them to disseminate this information, together with tools allowing stakeholders to understand the benefits of energy efficient models:
- Efficient cooling is a hot sales argument for manufacturers and suppliers of energy efficient refrigerated cabinets who benefit from the trend towards energy efficiency, gain competitive advantage, get their best products listed on topten.eu
- Energy efficiency appeals to consumers and hence to customers of the Beverage industry which can meet environmental targets and bring more profit to their customers by reducing their electricity costs.
- Energy efficiency cools costs for Retailers procuring and using energy efficient refrigerated cabinets: they reduce their own electricity costs, meet environmental targets and distinguish their brands.
- Professional buyers that place emphasis on energy efficient refrigerated cabinets meet environmental targets, save on electricity costs and act in an exemplary way.
- Food service businesses, catering industries and hotels that choose energy efficient refrigerated cabinets save on electricity costs, protect the environment, and operate much more economically.
4) It organised a product competition where the best products in 5 categories were identified after tests in laboratories and awarded at the Euroshop fair in March 2017 during an official ceremony.
5) It presented its activities in the media, specialised press and during professional events and scientific conferences.
Key Results:
• 9 websites presenting continuously updated selections of best cabinets and selection criteria
• 16 product categories scanned, highlighting the 170 most energy efficient models supplied by 30 different brands
• 2 market studies on professional cold cabinets and their distribution according to their energy class on the EU label
• A successful Product competition: entries were received and winners identified in each of the 5 categories open to the competition. An Award ceremony was held at the EuroShop fair in March 2017
• 13 tests undertaken at selected laboratories in order to gain technical knowledge on products and standardisation processes
• 2 measurement projects organised at retailers' and canteens' premises to gain knowledge on "real life" energy consumption
• 2 ProCold calculators enabling end-users to compare their models' energy consumption, costs and CO2 emissions to the ones of the Topten listed products
• Topten and ProCold logos used by 29 manufacturers to label their products
• 1 195 stakeholders reached and informed about the project, with increased skills/capability/competencies on energy issues
• 2 rebate programmes implemented in Switzerland and Austria, based on the ProCold project (6 000 models subsidised leading to 55 millions of kWh saved over 3 years in Switzerland)
• A variety of brochures and procurement guidelines available in 6 languages
• 29 press releases and more than 150 publications in the professional press
• 25 participations in fairs and conferences, presenting the project
• Policy recommendations for professional cabinets, commercial cabinets and standardisation issues
• 355 GWh saved thanks to additional best models sales (Primary energy savings triggered within one year: 296 GWh)

Though the project is formally over, the Topten network continues to work on plugged-in professional and commercial cold products, so stay tuned on www.topten.eu/pro-cold!
ProCold section on-line
Image of one of the ProCold Brochure
Product categories covered by ProCold