GREEN GUIDE PART ONE
A Klea solution to today’s challenges
Sarah Hughes, global commercial director of world leading fluoroproducts company, Koura discusses sustainable innovation and the challenges faced across the industry.
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ustainability is becoming more and more important to companies across a range of sectors worldwide. To ensure business as well as the planet is safeguarded, many companies are holding themselves accountable with transparent sustainability goals, making clear commitments to a ‘greener’ way of working. The heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)
industry is no different. For decades, the sector has been evolving, embracing innovation and adhering to stringent regulation to become a more environmentally friendly industry.
The Montreal Protocol treaty was signed by over 197
countries in 1987, which showed a clear commitment to reducing emissions and improving sustainability, with chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) being phased out in 1996. Since 2015, over 100 companies worldwide have now committed to phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), to reduce emissions. Europe and the US have led the way, with regulations stipulating a 79 per cent reduction by 2030. The phase out will have a significant impact on the environment and across industries for the better, as the new regulations encourage companies to invest in new climate friendly alternatives. According to recent reports, the global HVAC industry is predicted to reach a staggering $367.5 billion dollars by 2030, with high demand from countries including China, India, Indonesia and the US supporting the rapid growth. Demand across the industry is usually driven by factors
including emerging markets, increasing populations, housing markets and the growth in commercial and industrial construction.
36 June 2020
Looking at the size and global reach of the industry along with the considerable growth predicted, it can seem a daunting task for companies to find and develop innovative new ‘greener’ solutions that still provide high quality performance, suitable for wide reaching sectors.
The challenges There are a range of challenges to face when developing new more sustainable refrigerants and alternatives for the market, which are present at various stages of the development.
The overall cost to support the innovation is significant
and needs to be carefully distributed throughout the different stages of research, development and production. The cost associated with the development can be very high, with millions of pounds earmarked for safety, performance and material compatibility studies. Coupled with the cost of the development of production methods, which must be efficient and adhere to the highest safety standards, this initial stage needs heavy investment to get the project off the ground and ensure quality and safety are paramount. Even when alternatives are developed and refined, there is a cost assigned to implementing these changes to ensure they are compatible with refrigerant technology for equipment developers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to use successfully. The expertise of the teams involved is of real importance as the creation of a more sustainable alternative is a much more delicate process than it looks on the surface. From a scientific perspective,
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