HarmonAC addressed the practical issues arising from the need for regular inspections of air-conditioning systems of over 12 kW cooling capacity as required by the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

This requirement puts a significant resource and cost burden on the EU Member States, which could potentially lead to poor implementation of the Directive if the links between the costs and benefits are not fully demonstrated.

The primary aim of the HarmonAC project was therefore to provide by November 2010 a robust source of information on the energy and carbon savings to be made from various aspects of the A/C inspection process, together with the time required and the relative costs.

The project provides details of the energy performance of installed AC systems from around the EU, the details coming from over 400 inspections and 42 Case Studies with accompanying energy consumption measurements.

Outputs from the project highlight the most common problems and Energy Conservation Opportunities (ECO) noted during these inspections, along with the range of energy savings achieved from rectifying the problems and implementing the ECOs.

The project also provides guidance on the frequency of inspection required to achieve various levels of energy savings in various system types and sizes. The findings hopefully enable Member States to make informed decisions about the required scope and likely impact of the inspection procedures to be implemented in their country.