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Grenada's air conditioners go green

September 25, 2018

Air conditioners are becoming increasingly popular in the tropical heat of Grenada and Carriacou. Efforts to make them more climate friendly are posing new challenges for local technicians.

https://p.dw.com/p/355dL
A technician works on a climate-friendly air conditioning system in Grenada
Image: Katja Döhne

Grenada: Climate friendly AC

Project goal: GIZ wants to promote a more climate-friendly kind of air conditioner on Grenada and Carriacou. The effort is part of the IKI-project "Cool Contributions Fighting Climate Change"
Project implementation: Among other things, the project supports partner countries' efforts to remove obstacles to the use of natural cooling agents and propellants
Project partners: Ministry of Finance, Planning, Economic Development, Trade, Energy and Cooperatives, Grenada,International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)
Project scope: Aside from Grenada, the project area also encompasses Costa Rica, Iran, Vietnam and Philippines, and is supported by BMU with a total of €4.7 million ($5.5 million)
Project duration: From Januray 2016 to June 2021

The Carribean heat on Grenada and Carriacou makes air conditioners a popular addition to the home. Though they traditionally have poor green credentials, there are now efforts to make the devices more environmentally friendly by using propane as a natural cooling agent. But the gas is highly flammable, meaning installation and maintenance require special knowledge and skills on the part of technicians, something they often lack — until now.

A film by Katja Döhne