Mitsubishi Electric Living Environmental Systems UK, which has pioneered the use of energy efficient air conditioning, has been accepted as a Partner by the European Comission’s Sustainable Energy campaign in recognition for its Green Gateway Initiative.
“This is a significant development both for us as a company and for the air conditioning industry as it clearly demonstrates that if we act responsibly we can make a positive contribution to sustainability,” commented Donald Daw, Commercial Director for the Hatfield-based company. The Green Gateway Initiative was launched at the House of Commons in June 2007 and includes technological developments and new thinking combined with simple behavioural changes such as better maintenance regimes or not using the thermostat as an on/off button. All of the initiatives in the 10-point plan focus on creating a significant impact on CO2 reduction in the UK’s buildings by reducing energy consumption and customers’ energy bills.
The company developed the plan after stunning the air conditioning industry in February 2007 by declaring itself against the idea of a rapid growth in the UK’s residential air conditioning market.
“The industry has long seen this as the next big sales generator but we realised that if many of the UK’s 26 million homes install air conditioning then the energy consumption of the country would go through the roof,” added Daw. “This is completely unsustainable and actually, with the UK’s temperate climate there are other more energy efficient ways of solving the problems of overheating in the summer for the vast majority of homes,” he explained.
The ten points of the Green Gateway Initiative focus on the different elements of energy use in homes and in commercial properties.
The Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign (www.sustenergy.org) is a European campaign organised by the Directorate-General for Energy & Transport of the European Commission. It aims to raise awareness and change the landscape of energy use in Europe to contribute to achieving the EU’s energy policy targets within the fields of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, clean transport and alternative fuels.
