TREATMENTS AND FLUIDS
The changing demands of the greener consumer
Heat transfer fluids are used across the food industry as well as the building and energy sectors, across applications such as refrigeration, air conditioning, heating, domestic hot water and renewable energies. Whilst they might be one of the least expensive components of a system, they are critical to the way it functions and how effectively it is able to transfer heat or cooling from one location to another, whilst at the same time providing valuable protection against freezing and corrosion. But how much focus is there on the green credentials of an HTF? Mel Summers, marketing manager for Climalife in the UK discusses.
W
ithin the HVACR sector we are all aware of the environmental changes that we should be making. We have, quite rightly, focussed heavily on the
demands of F-Gas legislation and continue to do so, seeing many more companies choosing to use refrigerants with lower GWP (Global Warming Potential) values, focussing more on energy efficiency, as well as ensuring leak detection equipment, cleaning and maintenance processes are in place. Is there more that we can learn from this shift and apply it across more than just the refrigerants in use? From a heat transfer fluid perspective, greener products are already available and have been proven to offer performance and environmental benefits over the fossil fuel derived incumbents.
Changes in public expectations Since the pandemic, in a wider consumer space there has been a big shift in behaviour with many more Britons choosing to buy from companies that have strong environmental credentials. A report published by E.ON in October 2020 looking into consumer demands in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, found that four in five people say that when they are planning to purchase goods and services from businesses, they look for those that have made a concerted effort to be environmentally friendly. So, as individuals isn’t this what most of us are looking for too?
HTFs products and their uses 14 June 2021
Heat transfer fluids (HTFs) perform the function of transferring thermal energy from one location to another for both heating and cooling applications. The market currently offers a number of different types of heat transfer fluids. These include: ■ Mono propylene glycol (MPG) ■ Mono ethylene glycol (MEG) ■ Potassium acetate and formate ■ Bio-sourced eg 1,3-propanediol or betaine.
HTFs are frequently used as the cooling medium in storage areas, manufacturing processes and in the processing of food and drink. They can also be used in applications such as solar thermal, district heating systems and heat pumps for commercial and domestic space heating and sanitary hot water (SHW) systems. MPGs and MEGs are the most commonly used heat transfer fluids today. They are produced from fossil fuel oils and whilst their pricing, until recently, has been more favourable when compared to greener equivalent products, this will change as availability reduces and the world becomes less reliant on these forms of fuel.
Greener HTF Products There are a number of examples of greener HTF alternatives in use across different industries, indicating that they are now a really viable product choice. Unlike the traditional glycol
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