ALTERNATIVE REFRIGERANTS
Building a business case for LGWP tech
Paolo Ferraris, president of Geoclima, talks about the chiller market in terms of using low GWP refrigerants.
G
lobal warming is a reality for which we all must take responsibility. As the leader of a company which produces chillers for air conditioning and refrigeration systems around the world, I know that some of the refrigerants we use in our systems – and the overall effi ciency of these systems – contributes to the problem. However, I’m encouraged by the arrival of low global warming potential (GWP) technologies that address these environmental concerns. One such solution – R1234ze – marketed by Honeywell under its Solstice brand – is readily available. R1234ze was a genuine breakthrough for us and we are now using it in many of our chillers. Non-ozone-depleting and mildly fl ammable, it has a low GWP of less than one and is safe for intended use. HFOs are highly effi cient, which adds to its minimal warming profi le with reduced indirect emissions, and has the potential to deliver signifi cant cost savings. Another benefi t is that this HFO uses the same technical footprint of its predecessor – the familiar R134a – making it easy to incorporate into new chiller designs and reducing the training requirements for engineers and technicians.
Most of our customers use chillers within large infrastructure such as data centres, hotels, supermarkets, shopping centres, hospitals,
production lines and
manufacturing facilities. They tend to be part of responsible, multi-national organisations. The HFO platform is a welcome development; its advantages allow these customers to focus on innovations in other areas of their business and supports their corporate social responsibility eff orts.
Although HFO refrigerants are perceived as ‘more costly’ when compared with other refrigerants, the total cost of ownership of the chiller is lower over the 15 to 18 year life-cycle of the equipment. With Geoclima upgraded designs and R1234ze, many customers report a 20-25% reduction in their energy costs compared with their previous chillers.
Several measures focusing on energy effi ciency and curbing carbon emissions have already started the chiller market in Europe, be it carbon taxation in several countries, Ecodesign Directive, F-Gas Regulation or building codes. F-Gas Regulation limits the amount of traditional high GWP refrigerants put on the European market and therefore drives the market to use products with lower GWP.
The Ecodesign Directive puts a lot of focus on increasing minimum performance requirements of chillers with the aim to eliminate low performing chillers. Chillers using HFOs help manufacturers achieve the performance required by the directive. We at Geoclima introduced the fi rst R1234ze chiller back in 2011 and plan to switch our full production to HFO refrigerants within the next four years. We are convinced HFOs represent the best mix of performance, safety, cost and environmental benefi ts. Despite the enthusiasm we see for HFO-based chillers, there remain some unconvinced by the technology. Many companies still gravitate toward the lowest priced chiller option, and there are plenty of budget solutions to cater to their needs. Unfortunately,
36 December 2017
their short-term gain will lead to long-term pain, as it is a matter of when – not if – the energy effi ciency requirements and the CO2
equivalent
quota reduction of the phase-down scheme under the F-Gas Regulation will lead to a non-gain business with the traditional solutions. That said, the adoption of the existing environmental legislation and reinforcement by the Member States is disconcertingly slow, and sometimes unclear. One reason for its unhurried progression, I suspect, is the lack of market education about low GWP technologies, which is also inhibiting the development and delivery of components to support low GWP systems. We take low GWP as a fundamental factor in the refrigerant choice and would prefer the regulations for this kind of applications to be stricter – and much faster. In Switzerland, for instance, for our chillers in installations of 400kW or more, we see a regulation mandating use of refrigerants with GWP lower than 10. While Geoclima has a solid regional coverage in Europe, the US represents a new focus area for us, especially in high energy effi cient chillers. In the US, the lack of market awareness of chillers with low GWP refrigerants is even more apparent and a lot of work needs to be done so that users understand their benefi ts.
Reducing energy cost for the end-users of chillers is a big part of the equation. However, having a sense of social responsibility is also important. In my view, we need to do everything we can to protect the environment for future generations.
Chiller manufacturers – and the broader industrial sector – must coalesce to raise awareness of low GWP and energy effi ciency, and create a supply chain to support it. We need to break down remaining silos of resistance and support legislators and government bodies to help comply with the regulations. Despite the complex challenges that lie ahead, the business and ethical case for low GWP solutions such as HFO is well worth the eff ort.
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