The International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) launched a technical publication on dehumidification during the 48th Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group to the Montreal Protocol (OEWG48) in Bangkok. The organisation also contributed to side events on alternative cooling technologies and servicing-sector readiness for the refrigerant transition.
According to the IIR, dehumidification accounts for more than half of the cooling load and associated energy use in many air conditioning systems, particularly in hot and humid climates. The publication’s launch event included presentations on air conditioning processes, established and emerging dehumidification technologies, industrial applications, market deployment challenges and recommendations for policymakers.
The technical programme featured Prof. Zhang Tao and Dr. Zhiyao Ma of Tsinghua University, Miki Yamanaka of Daikin and Marco Duran of the IIR. The event was opened by Souhir Al-Hammami of the IIR and Wang Congfei of CAR, with closing remarks from Zhao Na of CAR.
The IIR also organised the “Unlocking Alternative Cooling Technologies at Scale: Towards Kigali+10 and Beyond” side event with the Carbon Containment Lab and UNIDO. Discussions covered a proposed taxonomy and mapping of alternative cooling technologies, technology readiness, existing applications and the potential contribution of non-refrigerant-based technologies to the HFC phase-down.
At a separate event organised by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, Marco Duran represented the IIR in discussions on preparing the servicing sector for HFC alternatives. The session examined technician training and certification programmes, enabling policies, institutional arrangements and capacity-building models supporting implementation of the Kigali Amendment.
