Conventional air conditioning systems are big fossil fuel consumers, but today there are alternatives that can deliver big savings in fuel consumption and running costs. Energy can be found in water, in the air and in the ground, and with the right technologies it can be harnessed to heat and cool buildings.

It’s well known that productivity at manufacturing plants plummets when temperatures persistently exceed 25C – and that’s a normal summer day. Surveys have shown that every degree above 20C can reduce productivity by as much as 4 percent. That means a rise of just 5 degrees can cut your output by an eye-watering 20 percent.

When the working environment is too hot, people work far less efficiently, morale plunges, and accidents and absenteeism rise. Cooling the factory shop floor is essential to keep productivity levels high - and for the wellbeing of the people working in this environment. But conventional cooling systems are not a viable solution: they are expensive, installation is costly, and so is the energy they use to bring the temperature down to desired levels.