Adriacold

Diffusion of Cooling and RFefreshing Technologies using the Solar Energy Resource in the Adriatic Regions

Project description

Adriacold was a project aimed at promoting and spreading the use of alternative energy systems for buildings conditioning, in the territory of the Adriatic Sea basin, in order to gain and increase independence from fossil fuels. Adriacold has contributed to support sustainable energy policies in the Adriatic area by promoting the adoption of solar cooling energy solutions based on ten pre-feasibility studies and experimental technical data produced by a network of six new pilot facilities.

What has been done during the project in order to achieve its main goal(s)?

Desk and on-site surveys to assess the potential of solar cooling technology application  in the public, tourist, agriculture and service sector have been performed.

Six reports on national energy requirements, energy policy, energy use were elaborated.

In-depth energy audits for the selected pilot buildings where solar plants were installed, have been performed  (1 in Slovenia, 2 in Croatia , 3 in Italy).

Feasibility studies, pilot plants performances reports and one hands-on guidelines to help decision makers to adopt solar cooling systems have been produced.

The solar cooling pilot plants have been designed and relevant monitoring systems have been commissioned and installed; they are already producing experimental data that are being monitored and elaborated.

Local workshops for public administrators, buildings owners and professionals have been organized. Finally, on August  2015 the  closing event of the Adriacold project took place in Dubrovnik.

Which are the project main results/impacts?

Result/Impact 1

Adriacold has built solar cooling pilot plants in Italy, Slovenia and Croatia to serve schools, hotels, greenhouses, hospitals and public offices. From a technical point of view, these plants have demonstrated  the possibility  to use high-efficiency collectors  capturing solar energy  (to heat a flow of  water) that, coupled with a solar-driven chiller which uses the properties of certain salts to change phase (such as zeolite salts or lithium bromide), can cool down water at a temperature in the range of  7-12 Celsius degrees.

Result/Impact 2

Transregional common approaches and methodologies have been shared as well as building energy audits schemes designed. The report “Energy use for cooling and potential of solar assisted cooling in the public, hotel and tourist, agriculture and service sector” has been released, encompassing 325 buildings located in 5 IPA Countries (AL, BiH, HR, IT and SI). In addition, 5 technical reports have been produced to assess and compare the pilot plants’ final characteristics and expected performances.

Result/Impact 3

As for the investments promotion in SC systems, more than 800,000.00 Euros have been invested to set up the first trans-regional network of pilot plants that are now fully operative in Italy (3), Slovenia (1) and Croatia (2) and are producing actual data. It is expected that such investments will also leverage new investments in the sector.

Result/Impact 4

An increased knowledge in the Adriatic area for implementing solar cooling technologies in existing and new buildings has been achieved by means of awareness raising events, such as  conferences, seminars and visits to the pilot plants guided by technicians, besides media tools such as web site, videos, interviews and news.  Ten buildings’ owners have been involved in evaluating investment pre-feasibility studies encompassing 5 hotels, 1 school, 1 winery, 1 wellness centre, 1 elderly home and 1 hospital.

Result/Impact 5

More than 240 key stakeholders – encompassing representatives of Public Administration, Design & engineering companies, Private Manufacturing companies, Regional Development Agencies, Research Centres, building owners – have participated in the 6 local workshops  promoting the pilot plants and in the final event in Dubrovnik.