GREEN MATTERS
carbon footprint, the way they are heated and cooled needs to be more energy efficient and sustainable. This means being able to look at a cooling requirement as a source of heat that can be re-used elsewhere in the building.
Using lower-GWP refrigerants One way to lower a building’s carbon footprint is to focus on the type of refrigerant used in air conditioning systems. In particular, many older buildings might not be using the most environmentally-friendly refrigerants available. Units using R410a variant of refrigerant which has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 2,088, compared to a base of 1 for CO2. Newer air conditioning units however are often equipped with R32 refrigerant which has a GWP of 675, two-thirds less than R410a. For chilled water systems, chillers using R32 and HFOs with GWPs of less than 10 are also now readily available in the market. Developers and specifiers should be looking at moving towards using air conditioning systems that are equipped to run with lower GWP refrigerants. The lower GWP helps to reduce emissions but also running costs as the refrigerant is more cost-effective than the R410a variety.
Alternative solutions on the market are available to those businesses looking to take their climate commitment to the next level, or for those where refrigerant flows might not be suitable in the building, like hotels. Hybrid Variable Refrigerant Flow (HVRF) systems use water throughout the majority of their pipework instead of refrigerant but are still able to simultaneously heat and cool different rooms. Hybrid VRF also removes the need for expensive leak detection equipment and offers high operational efficiencies while minimising the global warming potential of the system.
The next part of the F-Gas phase down is
due to take place in January 2024, reducing the overall quota to 31% of its 2015 baseline. Additionally, in 2025, split air conditioning units with a GWP greater than 750 will be banned. In light of this, and the need to focus on a green recovery from the pandemic, now is a good time for businesses to be thinking about how they can make small changes that have a big impact. The use of lower GWP refrigerants and hybrid technologies does just that. Hybrid solutions are becoming more of a necessity. They offer a greener solution and lower environmental impact than traditional refrigerant based units. Organisations looking to reduce energy consumption and also take a greener approach to their property management should consider HVRF solutions as offering a more flexible and reliable option.
Taking control of systems Another way to reduce the energy and carbon used to heat and cool buildings is to be able to closely monitor and control when those systems are used, and at what level. In fact, improving the control, monitoring and data reporting of HVAC equipment is perhaps the single most impactful enhancement we can make to buildings.
Variables such as user habits, energy consumption patterns and outside temperature can now be used to inform system management and control, and to help deliver greener, more energy efficient buildings – as well as generating cost savings. With mobile apps connected to HVAC equipment, the right information can be delivered at the right time and help to speed-up intervention and to reduce undue energy use. With the advanced technology available today, like predictive algorithms, interventions can even be made automatically to ensure optimum performance – and minimum energy use – is maintained at all
times.
Consider ventilation too As well as heating and cooling buildings, bringing in a clean, fresh air supply is now more important than ever to ensure the health and wellbeing of occupants. In fact, a lack of fresh, ventilated air can cause illnesses – including lung conditions from asthma to cancer, heart disease and inflammatory conditions – according to the WHO. On top of this, buildings today are
increasingly air-tight, and often do not have windows that can be opened, so don’t benefit from any fresh air coming in from outdoors. Clearly, ventilation systems are necessary – but looking for energy efficient systems is key. Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) and air handling units (AHUs) can both meet this requirement and are designed to deliver fresh air to a building, while simultaneously extracting stale air, in the most energy efficient way possible, by using heat recovery technology. This in turn actually reduces the heating or cooling load on the internal air conditioning plant, making the building overall more efficient. The road to recovery following the pandemic is still uncertain, and what the world will look like in the wake of Covid-19 remains to be seen. One thing for sure though, is that the climate crisis will remain. Commercial building designers, contractors, installers and facilities managers all have a responsibility to do what they can to ensure the built environment is designed for the future, and continue to increase energy efficiency where they can on the journey to being Net Zero. The choices made around which refrigerants and air conditioning system to use, as well as investing in controls and monitoring and considering ventilation options can all go some way into helping increase that efficiency.
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