Air conditioning and electricity consumption: forecasts and trends
Global energy demand for air conditioning is expected to increase rapidly in the coming decades, creating a significant environmental and energy challenge.
Specifically, according to statistics from Nature Communications, global air conditioning use could nearly double by 2050, significantly increasing electricity consumption and related CO₂ emissions, unless efficiency measures are implemented and demand growth is restrained.
Greenpeace Greece, in a related report, predicts that electricity demand for air conditioning is expected to increase by up to 83% during the period 2041–2050 compared to 2011 levels, and by as much as 248% by the end of the century.
Eurostat data (2022) further indicate that the need for building heating has decreased over time, while the need for air conditioning has increased rapidly.
In particular, in European Union countries, the value of heating degree days decreased by 11% between 1979 (3,510 degree days) and 2021 (3,126). In contrast, cooling degree days were nearly three times higher in 2021 (100) compared to 1979 (37), indicating that the need for air conditioning in buildings has increased over recent decades.
Air conditioning consumption in Europe: Cyprus’ position
The highest average cooling degree days in the European Union are observed in Cyprus, Malta, and Greece. Specifically, Cyprus recorded one of the highest average cooling degree day values in the EU, with 577 calendar units between 1979 and 2021, indicating that the need for air conditioning has always been particularly significant on the island.
Eurostat data from 2023 further show (in “Energy consumed for space cooling (EU + extra EU)”) that Italy is by far the largest consumer of air conditioning in the EU, followed by Greece, France, and Spain, while Cyprus ranks 9th in the table.
How ColteraTREC responds to this challenge
These trends highlight the central challenge that ColteraTREC seeks to address: the need for clean, energy efficient air conditioning and cooling solutions that can meet growing demand without multiplying energy consumption.
ColteraTREC is a research project that began in May 2025 with funding from the European Innovation Council (Project No. 101161366) and is coordinated by Leibniz University Hannover (LUH), with partners Voltera Bulgaria, DIAS Publishing House, Clausthal University of Technology (TU-CLAUSTHAL) in Germany, and the University of West Attica in Greece.
The project aims to radically change the way cooling is achieved by eliminating the use of vapor-compression cycles and harmful refrigerants, while achieving energy efficiency close to the theoretical maximum. ColteraTREC systems are lightweight, made from low-cost materials, and do not rely on critical raw materials.
More information is available on the project website:
https://coltera-trec.eu/
and on the project’s LinkedIn page:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/coltera-trec
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