World News

SPAIN: A group representing Spanish supermarkets is calling for changes to the F-gas regulation, claiming it fails to account for the cooling needs of countries with high ambient temperatures.

FRANCE: Air conditioners using R290 refrigerant could now be used in French high-rise buildings after changes to its stringent safety regulations.

USA: California and Washington are among a coalition of 19 attorney generals and one city suing the US EPA over its rule to roll back refrigerant transition deadlines.

ITALY: Netherlands-based indoor climate solutions company BDR Thermea has announced the full, 100% acquisition of Italian HVAC manufacturer G I Holding.

USA: The Sustainable PFAS Action Network (SPAN), a US coalition advocating for what it calls science-based, risk-focused PFAS policies, has formed a working group to stress the importance of refrigerants.

BELGIUM: The European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE) has called for a dedicated European heating and cooling initiative, accompanied by financial support and fiscal incentives.

FRANCE: A new technical brief from the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) reviews typical air conditioning processes involving dehumidification and major air dehumidification technologies.

EUROPE: The European Commission is asking member states to bring down domestic electricity-to-gas price ratios to a maximum of 2.5 and to a maximum of 2 for industry by 2030.

JAPAN: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has shipped its 10MW  centrifugal chiller test unit to the US in support of moves to address the power and…

SWEDEN: Wholesaler Beijer Ref has reported record-high sales and profit in the second quarter of 2026.

JAPAN: The General Group is to build a demonstration house to test air conditioning systems for high-performance homes, shifting from individual rooms to whole house air conditioning.

ITALY/NETHERLANDS: Mitsubishi Electric Hydronics & IT Cooling Systems (MEHITS) has acquired all shares of the Utrecht-based HVAC sales, installation and maintenance company APAC Group and its sister company COMPAC.

JAPAN: The Japanese Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is reported to have raided the offices of three refrigeration companies over suspected bid-rigging and cartel practices.

USA: Modine has appointed Michael Mahan as president of its newly-formed commercial HVAC (CHVAC) business segment.

USA: US shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps totalled 919,685 units in May 2026, an increase of 6.7% on May 2025. 

FRANCE: An R290 monobloc heat pump is the subject of a recall in France due to fire or explosion concerns in the event of a refrigerant leak. 

ITALY/DENMARK: Carel Industries has completed the €56.1m acquisition of Danish company Cotes, a supplier of adsorption dehumidification solutions. 

USA: The Guggenheim Museum is one of 31 buildings with cooling towers that tested positive for the presence of legionella bacteria during New York City’s latest legionnaire’s…

JAPAN: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries claims to have demonstrated measurable improvement in data centre cooling energy consumption while maintaining stable operation. 

EUROPE: The European Commission has opened an infringement procedure against Greece for failing to comply with the F-gas regulations requiring mutual recognition of engineers’ F-gas…

JAPAN: Daikin has entered into an agreement with Itochu Corporation to improve the recycling of commercial air conditioners and expand the use of recycled materials.

BELGIUM: Trane has appointed Lauri Salmia as its country leader for Denmark and Finland.

CANADA: Oil-free centrifugal chiller technology company Smardt has  appointed Sandeep Nair as its new CEO. He succeeds Albert Yam, who transitions to executive director on Smardt's board.

SPAIN: Spanish logistics company Primafrio has concluded a pilot project to integrate a cryogenic system using liquid nitrogen and solar energy in a refrigerated trailer.

IRELAND: Nordic Climate continues to grow in Ireland through the acquisition of Northern Refrigeration Services, a Donegal-based specialist in refrigeration, heat pumps and heating solutions. 

UK: Refrigerant manufacturer Solstice has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Florida-based specialty chemical manufacturer and supplier Element Solutions Inc in a deal valued at approximately $14.5bn.

USA: In what is being dubbed one of the biggest efficiency leaps in data center history, US technology company NVIDIA is employing liquid cooling at up to 45ºC.