Studies show that transmission of viruses, such as the coronavirus causing COVID-19, can be prompted by airconditioned ventilation. In developing member countries (DMC), the risks of virus transmission are higher because of poor hygiene including the use of old air-conditioning equipment, lack of regular maintenance, and overcrowding in closed spaces. Additionally, inefficient centralized air-conditioning (CAC) systems in many DMCs account for up to 50% of energy consumption in public buildings. Advanced air-conditioning systems with energy-saving technologies used in combination with demand-side management techniques could bring up to 45% energy savings. CACs also rely heavily on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a greenhouse gas potentially thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide. Proper management of HFCs is critical to addressing greenhouse gas emissions from CAC systems.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is implementing knowledge and support technical assistance (TA), Regional Support to Build Disease Resilient and Energy Efficient Centralized Air-conditioning Systems, to promote disease resilient clean energy development in developing member countries of ADB. The TA supports DMCs of ADB to improve energy efficiency, mitigate the risks of virus transmission, and ensure safe working conditions in public buildings by deploying efficient, clean, and smart CAC systems.

Objectives 

The TA will support DMCs to improve energy efficiency, mitigate the risks of virus transmission, and ensure safe working conditions in public buildings by deploying efficient, clean, and smart centralized air-conditioning (CAC) systems. The TA program will assess the energy efficiency and virus transmission risks of CAC systems; make appropriate recommendations; and pilot the operation of smart, energy-efficient, and disease-resilient CAC systems in selected DMCs. The TA program will generate three major outputs noted below:

• Developing knowledge on energy efficiency and virus transmission risks of centralized air-conditioning systems in typical public buildings,
• Identifying innovative centralized air-conditioning systems using digital technologies, and
• Developing awareness on energy conservation and containing indoor virus transmission in typical public buildings located at DMCs.

These webinar series aimed to increase awareness of disease-resilient, energy-efficient, and smart CAC systems in DMCs. Since the topic of Webinar 4 is refrigerant management, this session is organized in collaboration with TA6730 “Promoting Life Cycle Management of Fluorocarbons”. TA6730 will help DMCs to promote (i) developing, manufacturing, and using climate-friendly refrigerants with zero or low global warming potential (GWP) as an alternative to HFCs with high GWP, which includes replacing old cooling equipment (upstream); and (ii) recovering, recycling, and destroying the discarded fluorocarbons (midstream and downstream).