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Environment Award for CO2 air conditioning |
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The German Environmental Award 2007, Europe’s highest-endowed recognition for environmental protection, will be awarded to Prof. Dr. Köhler from the TU Braunschweig and Carl H. Schmitt, the founder of Konvekta, for their work on CO2 as a refrigerant in vehicles.
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2007-10-05
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One third of the award, with €500,000 the highest-endowed in Europe, will be given to Köhler and Schmitt for their groundbreaking work on carbon dioxide as a refrigerant in vehicle air conditioning. The German Environmental Foundation (DBU) decided to reward Konvekta for its important preliminary works over a period of 15 years that helped to demonstrate the efficiency of R744 in commercial vehicles first – a precondition for the use of CO2 in Mobile Air Conditioning of all vehicle types.
"Climate protection starts with air conditioning"
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The founder of Konvekta, Schmitt, and his long-time Development Manager, Köhler, have thus decisively contributed to climate protection. Despite significant technical and financial risks, Schmitt and Köhler have advanced CO2 Technology to serial production maturity. According to the DBU, the use of alternative refrigerants could help avoiding carbon dioxide emissions in the range of 2.5 million compact cars.
Köhler, now Director of the Institute for Thermodynamics at the Technical University of Braunschweig, and partner of R744.com, welcomed the recognition, stating that "climate protection also starts with air conditioning."
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Reaction
"It can be largely attributed to Konvekta that the (German) automotive industry decided to replace the current climate-killing refrigerant in air conditioning by carbon dioxide as early as possible (...). The company has demonstrated the functionality of this technology and has proved that there is always a sustainable and ecological way," said DBU Secretary General Dr. Fritz Brickwedde.
Follow-up with R744.com
On 28 October, Federal President Horst Köhler will present the German Environmental Award to the winners. R744.com will keep you updated on latest developments.
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More information:
› German Environmental Award - DBU News Release Schmitt / Köhler (GERMAN)
› See the profile of the Institute for Thermodynamics in our Engineering services
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