World Ozone Day at “Karl Gega” Vocational School: When Climate-Friendly Technology Becomes a Reality

This year, the global World Ozone Day message, “Cooling smarter, with less impact on the climate,” took concrete form at “Karl Gega” Vocational School, where the first advanced R290 heat pump installed in an Albanian school was put into operation. Supported by UNIDO and implemented in cooperation with the National Ozone Unit, the project brings climate-friendly technology to a setting where it delivers twofold value: improving conditions at the school while giving students the opportunity to gain first-hand experience with the technology of the future.

On the occasion of World Ozone Day, on 16 September 2026, the National Ozone Unit organised a series of activities at the school, combining youth awareness, theoretical knowledge and a practical demonstration of the new technology, while also recognising the cooperation among the partners who made the project possible.

The activities began with a workshop for students in the Thermohydraulics programme, where they discussed the importance of protecting the ozone layer, the achievements of the Montreal Protocol and the next challenge: the transition towards technologies and refrigerants with the lowest possible climate impact. This is also the purpose of the heat pump project at “Karl Gega”: to put into practice a highly energy-efficient technology using a refrigerant with a very low climate impact. During the workshop, teachers explained that some of the students had also closely followed the installation of the system, assisting the technicians and observing the process first-hand.

The students, representatives of the National Ozone Unit and the school management then visited the heat pump, which is now in operation. The system was installed by Klimateknika, whose company representative was present during the visit and explained to the students how the system works and how R290 refrigerant is used. The benefits have already been felt: students reported that the new system has significantly improved learning conditions during hot days.

The new system provides both heating and cooling, combining high energy efficiency with the use of R290 (propane), a natural refrigerant with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of only 3. The transition towards refrigerants with a very low climate impact, together with more efficient energy use, lies at the heart of international efforts to achieve a more sustainable cooling sector.

The project results and the experience of cooperation among the partners were discussed during a formal meeting involving the school director, Indrit Gorçe, representatives of the National Ozone Unit and Klimateknika. Special thanks were extended to UNIDO for its support for this demonstration project, along with the hope that this experience will lead to other similar projects. The school’s commitment and cooperation throughout the process were also recognised, as was Klimateknika’s professionalism in installing and commissioning the system.

With the system now operational, “Karl Gega” becomes the first demonstration model in an Albanian school for the use of low-GWP technologies, providing an example that can be replicated in other schools and public buildings.