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Project details—Aims and Overview:AUDITAC is the project acronym for "Field Benchmarking and Market Development for Audit Methods in Air Conditioning".The core aims of the AUDITAC project are to provide tools and information that will enable air-conditioning system Inspectors, Auditors, Owners and Operators across Europe to confidently identify actions that will save them money, and reduce the emissions of green house gases.The project is timely in that it addresses the practical mechanisms needed to enable Member States to implement Article 9 of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive which became law in January 2006.The work is organised into a number of Work Packages each coordinated by the best expert on the subject, having its own deadlines and specified inputs and outputs from/ to the other tasks.This two-year project, largely funded by the European Commission through its "Intelligent Energy - Europe" programme started in January 2005. It has participants from France (the project coordinators), UK, Slovenia, Austria, Belgium, Portugal and Italy. Eurovent is also a participant.Summary:In the coming years the stock of Air Conditioning (A/C) equipment in use in Europe will partly become obsolete. Most systems will be renovated for the first time (after 10-15 years of operation) and an opportunity exists to introduce higher efficiency systems. Out of the 2 200 Mm2 of air conditioned building area in use in 2010 in Europe, 800 Mm2 will be more than 15 years old and will need urgent renewal.The AUDITAC project will:- Allow Member states to accelerate the adoption of Air Conditioning inspection as described in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD),- Generate a number of field demonstrations and benchmarks of Inspection and AUDITs in Air Conditioning (hence the name AUDITAC),- Help promote best practice examples and procedures in such audits and consequent retrofits,- Provide the information needed to allow the Inspection

Through undertaking monitoring and measurement of the energy use in 42 AC systems and their components in 8 EU Member States, HARMONAC has been able to provide an evidence based report on the Energy Conservation Opportunities (ECOs) generally available in Air Conditioning systems. These in-depth Case Studies have then compared with ECOs found from Field Trials of HARMONAC AC system inspection procedures which are based on EN15240 - the CEN Standard for AC Inspection. This comparison has enabled conclusions to be reached about how many of the ECOs that are available would be able to be identified and implemented in EU Member States as a result of the EPBD Inspection process. The project has also produced tools for use in the Inspection process, and a Teaching Package to assist in the Training of Inspectors.