Abstract
The study is a background analysis supporting the preparation of a delegated act on a methodology to calculate renewable cooling under the Renewable Energy Directive. It provides an overview of cooling markets, consumption and technologies; analyses possible calculation methodology options and assesses their impacts, including via modelling, on the national and EU renewable shares and the renewable heating and cooling targets. The study recommends using seasonal performance factors defined in primary energy terms as the main criterion to qualify renewable cooling and provides implementation guidance for the suggested preferred option. The first report of the study intends to provide an overview of technologies for cooling and their related technological development trends, as well as the quantification of the EU final energy consumption for cooling (country-by-country), with 2016 as baseline utilizing the most recent statistical data and information. Furthermore, it develops projections on final energy consumption for cooling until 2030. Lastly, it investigates in detail how much heat pumps (HPs) and DC can deliver renewable cooling.