HEATING, VENTILATION & AIR CONDITIONING


MEETING THE COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY WITH NEW DESIGN CHALLENGES


The world needs to find solutions that mitigate the impact of global warming, whilst ensuring safety of heating and cooling plant.


Samira Amani, strategic marketing manager Automation, at Omron Electronic Components Europe B.V, examines how measurement and control devices are addressing the challenge of new applications and regulations


R


efrigerators, vending machines, and heat pumps like air conditioning units, rely


on refrigerants. However, it is well know that older refrigerants compromise the atmosphere. CFCs destroy the ozone layer, and subsequent alternatives still have the potential to accelerate global warming – not to mention the further damaging effects on humans and the broader ecosphere. A refrigerant is a working fluid used in


the refrigeration cycle of air conditioning systems and heat pumps, where in most cases they undergo a repeated phase transition from a liquid to a gas and back again. Refrigerants are heavily regulated due to their toxicity, flammability, and the contribution of CFC and HCFC refrigerants to ozone depletion and that of HFC refrigerants to climate change. While low-carbon systems are giving way to


new, environmentally friendly refrigerants, refrigerants with low ozone depletion potential (ODP) and the lowest Global Warming Potential (GWP) brings hazards of their own. Low GWP refrigerants are highly flammable, so Gas Explosion proof design is mandatory. A way to simplify the design and meet safety regulations for refrigeration, vending machines and heat pumps could be through the use of ATEX approved components.


HEAT PUMP ISSUES The world is beginning to phase out its use of fossil gas boilers in favour of heat pumps and alternative fuels. This brings in new challenges with the need to identify solutions that mitigate the impact of global warming, whilst ensuring safety of heating and cooling plant. Further, our need to reduce reliance of fossil fuels is highlighted by recent volatility of global gas prices. In Europe, the REPowerEU Plan has the further


aim of phasing-out our dependency on fossil fuels. Reducing the carbon footprint will protect consumers as well as the atmosphere. These goals are underpinned by three pledges: to accelerate the transition to clean energy, diversify energy resources and reduce consumption overall. To achieve these goals, gas boilers are going to be limited by EU Community policy Repower Plan, with further investments expected on solar and renewable energies. In particular, the European Union should aim at doubling the current deployment rate of individual heat pumps, resulting in a cumulative ten million units over the next five years. Extending these ambitions, REPowerEU ramps-up the schedule to a target of twenty million heat pumps installed by 2026 and close to sixty million by 2030. Following that, the German government has declared a new heating strategy focusing on district


20 ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Spring 2023


solutions with a mandate to make heat pumps mandatory as of January 2025. The Netherlands wants hybrid heat pumps to become standard when existing boilers are replaced and is making heat pumps mandatory from 2026. Britain has declared to target 600,000 heat pumps annually by 2028 and will be banning the installation of gas boilers in new-build properties from 2025. France has pledged to end government subsidies for the installation of new residential gas heaters and boost support for renewable energy heating, whilst Italy’s government has also declared their intention to prohibit residential gas heaters from 2029. If these targets are achieved, fossil fuel use will


be greatly reduced, but the use of potentially damaging refrigerants will expand greatly as new heat pumps add to the existing demand for them from air conditioning and refrigeration. Clearly, it is essential to transition to low GWP refrigerants, which will entail moving to flammable gas explosion-proof design for all forms of heat pumps and refrigeration.


SAFETY STANDARDS The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineering standard (ASHRAE) classifies refrigerants by hazard based on toxicity and flammability. Common non-polluting refrigerants such as R290 (propane), R1270


www.essmag.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40