During the year, C.R.F. continued testing innovative climate control systems that minimize environmental impact and energy consumption, while at the same time increasing efficiency. On the consumption side, Smart Cooling is being developed as an integrated management system for all thermal flows, resulting in a clear improvement in the total energy usage and a 5% reduction in consumption measured by the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) standard. In the Smart Cooling system, the traditional condenser and intercooler are replaced with water exchangers located within the engine cavity and served by a secondary low-temperature water and glycol circuit (at approximately 50°C). Given that there is only one fluid in the front section of the vehicle, the system can actively manage the division of the heat exchange surface between the engine cooling circuit (at 90°C) and the low-temperature circuit. Again for the purpose of reducing emissions, and also to comply with the EU regulation which bans, beginning in 2011, use of the current refrigerant R134a in favour of fluids with a lower greenhouse effect, C.R.F. has, as part of the European TOPMACS project, developed an air-conditioning system that works with heat recovered from the engine cooling system to power a heat pump based on the adsorption of liquids on a solid matrix. This system, powered by a solar panel or heat from a type of boiler already used in some vehicles as an auxiliary heater, provides air conditioning even when the engine is off, enabling the vehicle interior to be pre-air-conditioned or, for large commercial vehicles, actually enabling the cabin to be air-conditioned during overnight stops. Finally, C.R.F. continued research and development of heat conversion systems, based on a variety of technologies, that can be integrated into the engine and vehicle systems. Other research related to the use of nanotechnology to improve the efficiency of heat recovery from exhaust gases and conversion into electricity.