Refrigerants Phase-out
2050 vision
Tara Garnett from the Food Climate Research Network
Key role for says that refrigeration is being over-used at present,
CO
2
in gas and people will have to change their expectations. “Do
phase-out we really need to put the ketchup in the fridge? Why do
supermarkets serve chilled naan bread? And can’t we just
By 2050, carbon dioxide
will be widely used as a
chill our wine at home rather than insist on getting it from
refrigerant; hydrocarbons a refrigerated cabinet in the shop?” she demands.
will be standard in air
Alice Delahunty of E.ON Engineering believes we need
conditioning for homes
and shops; and we may
to look beyond energy efficiency at the way our power
see the return of R12 and networks are set up. “Making air conditioning systems
R22 as systems become
more efficient will not solve our problems,” she says. “It is
leak free, according to
Andy Pearson of Star
all about getting our energy in a more sustainable way.
Refrigeration. “The real problem is the inflexibility of central power
But he sees no long-term
Old technology, but will more efficient systems help? stations,” she explained. “It is the same whether they are
role for ammonia and nuclear-, coal- or gas-fired – and if we move to renewables
also expects 134a to be
> London’s stated aim of cutting emissions by 60 per cent we will then become weather dependent.
long gone. “It is simply
not good enough for
by 2025.
industrial refrigeration The main strategy for achieving this is increasing the use
– in fact, it’s rubbish,”
of decentralised energy – particularly from combined heat
he says.
Making air conditioning systems
and power (CHP), according to Ahmed. But improving
HCFCs will be phased
the efficiency of refrigeration and air conditioning systems
more efficient will not solve our
out by 2020 and the
long-term future of HFCs
will also have a key role to play. LSBU estimates that even problems. It’s all about getting our
is in the balance because a modest improvement of between one and two per cent
they will be subject to
energy in a more sustainable way
would be enough to offset the predicted rise in carbon
high taxes, according to
Pearson.
emissions from increased cooling demand.
– Alice Delahunty
The university is also creating a cooling rating system “We need to make power supply more responsive to
CO2 is the best long-
term solution because
– based on the same principles as the buildings energy demand because you can only reduce demand so much
it is low risk, the “least
labelling schemes now in operation in the UK – to give through energy efficiency.”
hassle” solution, ideal for
each solution a ‘greenhouse gas impact factor’ so that Delahunty, who is team leader of E.ON’s emergent
combined heating and
air conditioning systems
end-users can select the most appropriate solution. technologies team, believes that smart meters have a
and offers the lowest cost
However, while the need for air conditioning looks set crucial role to play by creating the link between installed
of ownership for the end
to rise, demand for refrigeration is expected to fall. For products and power generation: “In the US, they can
user, he adds.
example, many of the food retailers would operate from now handle power-supply problems by controlling the air
smaller stores because of the increase in deliveries direct conditioning systems remotely and getting them to power
to consumers who buy their food over the internet. The down for periods to reduce peak demand. This kind of
trend would also be away from frozen food towards chilled approach will become more important because more and
‘fresh’ produce, and from open-display cabinets to glass- more electricity will be used as a result of trends such as
fronted cases, which are more energy efficient. the move away from gas boilers to heat pumps.” l
Regulations: HFCs under threat again
T
he European Commission has called for the air “The EU’s position also fails to acknowledge the F-Gas
conditioning industry to reduce its dependence on Regulation’s impact on HFC emissions,” a statement says.
HFC refrigerants and develop alternatives. “The whole concept of the F-Gas Regulation is to reduce
Following a summit meeting in Copenhagen and minimise emissions of HFC refrigerants, among
last month, officials said that the accelerated phase-out other fluorinated gases.
of HCFC refrigerants could lead to a rapid increase in “The cost of additional training being carried out across
harmful emissions of HFCs. They called for the industry to the EU by air conditioning contractors has been seen as a
step up research into low GWP (global warming potential) necessary expense in order to improve working standards
alternative HFCs or non-HFC alternative gases. and practices generally, thereby improving containment
The European trade body for RAC contractors, AREA , levels of refrigerants.”
says it rejects this position “as it fails to take into account A leading end-user criticises the European Commission’s
the concept of Total Equivalent Warming Impact (TEWI) statement and says that bans are not effective and have a
of many HFCs in use”. “minimal impact” on the industry. Bob Arthur, refrigeration
It adds that much of the low-carbon technology needed technology manager at Marks & Spencer, says that, despite
to reduce the environmental impact of heating and cooling the phase-out of CFCs and HCFCs, many of the same
equipment was “reliant on the properties of the fluorinated chemicals were still being used in cooling equipment and
gases to realise their low-carbon potential”. leakage rates had not improved. >
46 CIBSE Journal March 2009 www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEmar09 pp44-48 Closecontrol.indd 46 5/3/09 14:13:28
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