Berkeley Lab’s Mexico Cooling Initiative highlighted at the “KONWAKAI Latin America” seminar in Mexico City

MEI's Director Dr. Michael McNeil highlighted aspects of Berkeley Lab's Mexico Cooling Initiative (MCI) in the presentation "Air Conditioning Impacts and Strategies in Mexico", delivered at the Second "KONWAKAI in Latin America" seminar held last month in Mexico City. The event was convened by air conditioner manufacturer Daikin and included the participation of Mexican government officials, representatives of international organizations, and members of industry and the research community. 
 
Dr. McNeil noted that MCI proposes a comprehensive strategy based on advancing R&D and capacity building to address the impacts of the growing use of energy for space cooling in Mexico, which currently represents 9% of total electricity consumption and is expected to double by 2030 and increase by a factor of 3.5 by 2050.  He also alluded to a project MEI is leading as part of the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program to update energy efficiency standards for fixed speed air conditioners.
 
The seminar included several presentations and sessions related to the promotion of buildings energy efficiency improvement for the creation of a sustainable society in Latin America. Download the presentation delivered by Dr. McNeil (PDF).

Photo credit: Embassy of Japan in Mexico