REFRIGERANTS
widely among EU member countries. The UK, for example, has a more flexible stance toward R290, even approving charges up to 500g for retailers committed to green refrigeration practices. Meanwhile, some territories in France and Italy have yet to employ even light commercial systems, dispelling the notion that R290 based refrigeration equipment is accepted in all corners of the EU.
On the other side of the pond in the US, the R290 picture is quite different. The US is generally much more hesitant to view the IEC standard for the 150g charge limit as a rubber stamp to move forward with R290 commercial refrigeration installations. In the absence of national R290 safety standards, even applications with small charge limits are subject to the authority of state and local governance, as well as fire marshal jurisdiction — and these differ drastically from region to region. As a result, commercial adoption has been limited primarily to the most established grocers, food service outlets and small format retailers who are willing to absorb the cost required to achieve requisite safety assessments and certifications – and are seeking to meet corporate sustainability objectives.
In recent years, the US regulatory climate has brought R290 back into industry and public awareness. First, in 2011 the EPA listed R290 as acceptable, subject to use conditions, for use in certain commercial refrigeration regulations, keeping the IEC recommendation for a 150g charge limit. More recently, the EPA also instituted the phase-down of R404A and other common refrigerants over the next several years. On a parallel timetable, the DOE has mandated significant energy reductions in commercial refrigeration equipment, thereby favouring the use of systems and refrigerants that produce high energy efficiencies.
The combination of these two regulations is motivating OEMs and the entire refrigeration supply chain to try and meet both objectives in a single design cycle. While R290 is one of the few approved refrigerants capable of satisfying both regulatory actions, the lack of a national safety standard is still a barrier toward wider US adoption.
Efforts to establish national standards are in motion, not only for R290, but potentially for a new class of A2L, (mildly flammable) hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) refrigerant blends — some of which have yet to be EPA approved. UL,
ASHRAE, ISO and IEC are all working to develop and evolve their standards to align with market trends, some of which may be finalised in the coming year.
As the EU’s international standards continue to evolve, the industry is appealing for the option to increase the 150g refrigerant charge limit to much higher allowable charges. Should this become enacted, there’s no question it will influence the emerging standards in the US, where the possibility of increasing the charge limit to 300g is already being discussed. This would add flexibility to system design and help transition R290 to larger commercial applications.
Finally, it’s important to remember that there’s no such thing as a perfect refrigerant. For decades R22 was considered ideal until it was discovered to contribute to holes in the ozone layer. Its replacement was a class of widely used HFCs that were later found to have high global warming potential. And both of these were man-made compounds. Aside from its potential flammability, which can be managed with proper system design and safe protocols, R290 is very similar (or better) in performance to its now prohibited predecessors.
Chillventa
www.acr-news.com
August 2016 51
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