Refrigeration applications account for approximately 14% of Germany’s electricity consumption, making higher energy efficiency and the use of climate-friendly refrigerants essential. At the same time, modern refrigeration technology opens up new opportunities for heat pumps, industrial processes, and the utilization of waste heat and renewable energy sources.

KETEC is a joint initiative of the Institute of Air Handling and Refrigeration (ILK Dresden), the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE, Freiburg), and Chemnitz University of Technology – Chair of Technical Thermodynamics – comprising a total of 13 subprojects. The platform supports the energy transition and climate protection through innovative solutions and technologies for the energy, cooling, and heating supply systems of the future.

By demonstrating energy and refrigeration technologies on a large scale, KETEC facilitates the practical transfer of research results into industry. Companies, skilled trades, and engineering firms gain access to innovative technologies that enable sector coupling and the efficient provision of electricity, heating, and cooling.

Through close collaboration between research institutions, industry, and the skilled trades, innovations can be implemented more rapidly, professionals can be trained in a targeted manner, and the competitiveness of Germany’s energy and refrigeration sectors can be strengthened sustainably.