lighting and movement. Few people think about the energy consumed in cooling spaces or food, let alone cooling in industrial processes.
Despite this, the needs for cooling are constantly increasing. In the century we are in, the requirements for cool environments are a self-evident sample of culture, the preservation and distribution of unaltered food is necessary, the new technological data require cooling in places that we could not imagine before (e.g. data centers) and, of course, industry in production and storage processes absolutely needs advanced and automated cooling systems.
The European market for air conditioners is not saturated. In fact, it is still in the middle of its upward trajectory. For the next 15 years, at least, growth is expected in the field of air conditioning in new buildings and in existing buildings, either for system replacements or for the creation of new ones.
The high growth rate of the sector is expected to be maintained beyond 2030, especially for the application of cooling systems in areas where no installation previously existed.
Sales for residential air conditioning units were estimated in 2010 at just over 3 million per year, and are expected to increase to 4.5 million by 2030. Italy, Spain, Greece and France account for the majority of European sales.
The improvements in the energy efficiency of the products foreseen by the ecological design requirements of the E.U. have two positive effects. On the one hand, the reduction of electricity consumption and on the other hand, the boost of the market both in terms of sales and professional development.
The increase in demand as well as the development of the technology of air conditioning devices implies an increase in the demand of businesses and professionals who study, install and maintain these systems. The largest portion of this workforce consists of refrigeration professionals. Increasingly "smarter" systems require more and more skilled and qualified technicians.
Tertiary sectors with high demand for advanced cooling and ventilation systems are:
Offices.
Hotels, tourist accommodation.
Supermarkets, malls and shops.
Hospitals, clinics, doctor's offices, etc.
Medicine and food storage and transport areas.
Public buildings.
Educational institutions.
Art centers, museums, entertainment venues, etc.
Datacenters.
