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Cutting the environmental impact of commercial climate control
It has never been more important to reduce the environmental impact of buildings, especially with regard to the heating and cooling. Here Matteo Dall’Ombra, VRV Specialist, Product Management and Engineering Group at Daikin outlines the importance of high efficiency climate control systems and the environmental benefits of transitioning to R-32 refrigerant
T
he decarbonisation of buildings is now essential if we are to meet our environmental and net zero targets. Currently, heating and power for buildings represents 40% of the UK’s total energy usage and
around 30% of the UK’s total emissions . There is also predicted to be a surge in demand for cooling worldwide, and a potential increase in energy usage , as urbanisation continues and the climate of many countries, the UK included, warms. To address these challenges, buildings’ climate systems must aim to reduce both the direct and indirect CO2eq impact.
The impact of F-gases
Among the direct impacts is the potential effect that the fluorinated gases (F-gases) used as refrigerants may have on the environment. The volume of F-gases that are released into the atmosphere is very small compared to other greenhouse gases – approximately 3% of UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2018 – but can have a global warming potential (GWP) up to 26,000 times greater than carbon dioxide . This is because F-gases are very effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere and can remain there for centuries after their release. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which include the vast majority of modern refrigerants, account for the majority of F-gas used and the largest source of these emissions is now the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump sector . The release of HFCs is usually due to refrigerant leakage from appliances during use or during decommissioning and disposal. This is why there has been a drive in recent years to transition away from the use of the more damaging HFC refrigerants. As refrigerants with higher GWP have been phased out, R-32 has become one of the main replacements as it provides an excellent balance in terms of sustainability, safety and cost-effectiveness for air conditioning and heat pump applications. R-32 has a GWP that is a third that of R-410A – 675 compared with 2088. It has a relatively low refrigerant charge (15% less than R-410A on average), higher
energy efficiency and, as a single component refrigerant, is easier to recycle. The lower GWP and higher efficiency means a reduction of the system’s potential direct CO2eq emissions of up to 71% is possible.
System efficiency
Alongside the advantages of R-32, the design and performance of the chosen system is also an important consideration. For example, the new Daikin VRV 5 Heat Recovery solution has been designed specifically for R32, optimising the benefits of this refrigerant. The development of the system has also focussed on maximising operational efficiency in real world conditions. As a result, it achieves a market-leading seasonal efficiency, with a 13% increase in performance compared to the previous R-410A generation.
In addition, the highly efficient 3-pipe heat
recovery system developed by Daikin allows simultaneous cooling and heating to deliver individual comfort control as well as virtually free heating by transferring heat from areas requiring cooling to those that need heating. Furthermore, Daikin’s VRV systems do not include consuming pumps, and only have two energy transfer steps (from air to refrigerant and from refrigerant back to air) minimising losses and boosting its overall system efficiency further. Compliance with safety regulationsWhile R-32 has a number of sustainability benefits, there are some additional safety considerations when using this refrigerant. There are two standards related to the key factors of toxicity and flammability. Toxicity is covered by the generic standard on refrigerants: EN378:2016 and denoted by the letter A or B for lower and higher toxicity refrigerants respectively. Flammability is covered by the specific heat pump standard IEC60335-2-40 (Ed.6), which as a product standard prevails over EN378:2016 in this area. Refrigerants are classified 1, 2L, 2 and 3, from non-flammable to highly flammable. R-32 is an A2L (low toxicity, lower flammability)
refrigerant. However, it is worth noting that despite being classified as flammable, R-32 and other 2L refrigerants are in reality difficult to ignite and have a slow burning velocity.
Therefore, these can safely be used for the same applications as the previous generation, higher GWP refrigerants. The classification as an A2L refrigerant means the regulations require that measures are taken to mitigate the potential risks based on total system charge and room sizes. This includes implementing robust leak detection and refrigerant control measures for higher system charge volumes and/or smaller room sizes.
For the vast majority of commercial buildings, the total system charge will exceed the level stated in the regulations and require additional measures to be applied. Climate control systems built specifically for R-32 may include features to help make compliance with the regulations simple, during both design and installation. For example, the VRV 5 Heat Recovery system features our innovative Shîrudo Technology. This combination of factory-integrated refrigerant control measures provides complete peace of mind and allows climate control to be applied in small rooms and spaces without any additional considerations, field supplied equipment or time-consuming studies. With Shîrudo Technology, in the unlikely event of a refrigerant leak, it is detected immediately by sensors in the indoor unit and the affected part of the installation is isolated. This minimises the refrigerant that can leak and also means only the units in the affected part of the system will be shut down. An alarm is also activated when the leak is detected to alert occupants of the issue. Shîrudo Technology combined with easy validation via Daikin’s Xpress software, means Daikin guarantees compliance with the specific IEC product standard, out-of-the-box.
Daikin VRV 5 Heat Recovery – Driving decarbonisation
VRV 5 Heat Recovery is the latest evolution of the Variable Refrigerant Volume technology first developed by Daikin 40 years ago. It has been designed specifically to support significant reductions in the carbon footprint of commercial buildings. The combination of performance developments and innovative technologies means it is the ideal for projects aiming to achieve BREEAM, LEED or WELL accreditation. Daikin VRV 5 Heat Recovery also offers best-in- class design and installation versatility. With an external static pressure (ESP) of up to 78 Pascals (Pa) the unit can easily be installed with ducting to the exterior, in small spaces or behind grilles. VRV 5 Heat Recovery offers the same long piping runs as the current VRV range and even smaller pipe diameters, further reducing the required installation space. It is also compatible with a contemporary range of specially designed R-32 optimised indoor units, offering maximum flexibility for all room configurations. The Daikin VRV 5 Heat Recovery units will be available from July 2022. For more information visit
www.daikin.eu/VRV5HR
10 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER JULY 2022 Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
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