Star is delighted to announce its involvement in a number of high-profile events during the upcoming COP26 in Glasgow. From 31st October to 12th November, Scotland’s largest city plays host to political leaders and heads of state from all over the globe, as the countries of the world come together to try and solve the climate crisis.
United by a common mandate to limit global warming to 1.5°C, attendees will participate in a series of discussions, workshops, and exhibitions as they seek to navigate the biggest challenge in the history of humankind. Current pledges are thought to only limit warming to 2.7°C.
Dave Pearson, Group Sustainable Development Director at Star Refrigeration, said, “Sustainable cooling and heating underpin each of the priority themes for COP26 and we are delighted to share our game-changing technology which can help businesses and communities reach net zero. The rhetoric is very strong but the reality is that burning gas is rarely mentioned with a significant focus on the use of coal. With all eyes on Glasgow this month, we are proud to showcase what Scottish engineering can achieve at this pivotal moment in history.”
“We’re pleased that we can play a small part, and we look forward to sharing our expertise with as many interested stakeholders as possible to create a greener future for all.”
As part of Scottish Enterprise’s COP26 lineup, Star Renewable Energy has been named a key speaker at the Decarbonising Heat event on 4 November 2021. The discussion will offer an exploration of decarbonising heat projects in and around Glasgow and shine a spotlight on the potential for urban regeneration through the deployment of zero-carbon heat. Scotland’s Climate Ambition Zone will run concurrent to the main COP26 programme.
Dave Pearson will also be presenting at Glasgow University in an event organised by the Institute of Engineers in Scotland on November 9th. Among other topics, Dave will discuss the future role of heat pumps in decarbonising the district heating sector, with a particular focus on how those ideas implemented at Queens Quay can be repeated across other cities so they too can switch from gas to river source heat pumps and save around 85% of the CO2 emissions.
In a unique opportunity, Star’s work with West Dunbartonshire Council, which saw the construction of the UK’s largest high temperature industrial water source heat pump at Queens Quay in Clydebank will be the backdrop to a series of “fireside chats” led by Thomas Nowak of the European Heat Pump Association. The project won the Heat Pump City of the Year Award from the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) in 2021 and has been shortlisted for the H&V Awards Heat Pump Project of the Year, as well as the Outstanding Project Award at the Scottish Green Energy Awards a testament to the leadership of the Council and their main contractor Vital Energi.
Star will be joining West Dunbartonshire Council at the Council’s one-day exhibition stand in the UN Climate Change Conference ‘Green Zone’ on Thursday 11th November. As well as showcasing the incredible work undertaken at the Queens Quay site, the stand will also outline the Council’s 2045 net-zero ambitions and their Climate Change Strategy. More information on the exhibit can be found here, while tickets to the Green Zone are available here.
The discussion about the key role heat pumps will play in the decarbonisation of heating and cooling will be taking place at the Queens Quay energy centre with Dave Pearson and the EHPA Secretary General Thomas Nowak on 12th November. People particularly interested in heat pump technology are invited to listen to the live discussion via Star’s Twitter account or via a recorded podcast which will be made available through Star’s COP26 Heating & Cooling hub at https://www.star-ref.co.uk/cop-26/
Star’s experts will also be attending the COP26 negotiations as official observers representing the European Heat Pump Association in the Blue Zone, which is a UN-managed space where negotiations take place between 197 parties. Dave Pearson commented, “just a few years ago across the River Clyde I was interviewed by BBC Scotland’s Gary Robertson and stated without hesitation that large parts of the city could be heated from the Clyde. We might not have done it in Glasgow but we have in Clydebank. Queens Quay is a beacon of hope showing immediate action that could be followed this year in other cities. This has to be the COP of immediate action, creating jobs, cleaner air and vastly reduced CO2 emissions. Anything less is societal suicide making us the dumbest generation in the history of humankind.”
For more information about Star and the company’s pioneering sustainable technology visit: www.star-ref.co.uk
