The Blue Angel - a national label with international impact. Award criteria for air conditioning units and international harmonisation work

The aim of the project "The Blue Angel - a national label with international impact" was to further develop the Blue Angel eco-label in terms of its use and its constructive contribution to market transformation towards climate-friendly air conditioning equipment, both in Germany and in the Asian region. The focus here was on room air conditioners (so-called single split air conditioners). Specifically, a detailed scientific and technical background report was first drawn up, from which a basis for awarding the Blue Angel label for the above-mentioned product group of "indoor air conditioners" in Germany was then derived. The special focus was on the target parameters of climate protection and the development of greenhouse gas savings potential, the use of climate-friendly (so-called "natural") refrigerants (especially R-290), energy efficiency and noise optimisation. This took place against the background of closely dovetailing the development of the basis for awarding contracts for room air conditioners in Germany with the economic, ecological and technological particularities of room air conditioners in the Asian markets, in particular the selected focus countries China and Thailand, and a further focus on India and South Korea. In a second project phase, cooperation with selected Asian eco-labelling programmes was then initiated with the aim of providing a constructive impetus towards harmonisation of the criteria in the form of common core criteria with Asian programmes. To this end, cooperation workshops were held in Beijing (China) and Bangkok (Thailand) in June/July 2017. The discussions with companies held there also laid the foundation for the fact that Midea was finally awarded the Blue Angel label for room air conditioners.