2. Definition of renewable cooling
The definition of and calculation method for determining the amount of renewable cooling are set out in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/759. Cold is defined as the heat extracted from an enclosed space in order to reduce the space temperature to or maintain it at a specified temperature. Passive cooling, cooling in means of transportation, cooling in cold stores, cooling with set points below 2°C or above 30°C and cooling of waste heat from industrial processes shall not be counted according to the Delegated Regulation. The Netherlands has chosen not to include any process cooling, as it falls under the aforementioned exceptions in most cases.
Whether and to what extent cooling is considered renewable depends on the efficiency of the cooling device, quantified through the seasonal performance factor in terms of primary energy (SPFp). The minimum efficiency requirement is an SPFp of 1.4. Cooling by systems with an SPFp of 6.0 or higher counts as fully renewable and at an SPFp between 1.4 and 6.0, the cooling is partially renewable. The more efficient the system, the higher the proportion that counts as renewable.