On February 20th, 2014, the 114th award ceremony of the Institute of Refrigeration (IOR) was held in London. More than 400 people presented the ceremony, including all the members of the executive council of IOR, group members, and representatives in the academic circle. The 2013 J&E Hall Gold Medal was awarded on the ceremony. Standing out from 6 candidates from University of Oxford, University of Maryland and the business circles, Prof. WANG Ruzhu won the award for his contribution, marking him as the first Chinese to win this honor.

Graeme Maidment, president of IOR, spoke highly of Prof. Wang in presenting the award for his great achievements in the field of heat pumps using low grade heat sources. Prof. Wang has been devoting himself to the fundamental research on the thermally driven absorption refrigeration and his findings promoted the industrial application of absorption refrigeration technology worldwide. Besides, he also made remarkable contributions to refrigeration by low grade heat energy such as solar energy and waste heat. The air source heat pump water heater, developed by Prof. Wang, stimulated the formation and development of China’s industry. He proposed the innovative pattern of using the hot and cold water of the air source heat pump with small temperature difference terminal equipment in cooling, heating and hot water service in hot-summer and cold-winter area, and he also actively promoted the industrialized operation. In addition, Prof. Wang guided his research team to the development and application of solar air conditioner and made an outstanding achievement on green building energy system.

Prof. Wang expressed in his acceptance speech that he was honored to be the first ever Chinese to take this award. Besides, he briefly introduced the talent training model and scientific research activities at SJTU, as well as the development of China’s refrigeration air-conditioning industry. He also expressed his sincere wishes for strengthening communication and seeking common development for the IOR and disciplines between China and Britain. 

The IOR normally hold the academic conference at the beginning of each and every year, of which the J&E Hall International Gold Medal enjoys high attention. The J&E Hall Gold Medal was initiated by J&E Hall Ltd in 1977 and was awarded to the individual with noteworthy contribution to the development of refrigeration and air conditioning technology in global academic and industrial circles. More than 30 outstanding experts have been awarded so far, including eminent scholars like Prof. Gustav Lorentzen, former president of International Institute of Refrigeration from Norwegian University of Science and Technology; Prof. P. Ole Fanger, from Technical University of Denmark; and Prof. Koichi Watanabe from Keio University.