Significant changes are on the way for HVAC servicing contracts, as steps to reduce the industry’s impact on the environment lead to new ways of working.
Air conditioning manufacturers have been working for some time to introduce equipment that utilises new refrigerants, in response to quotas restricting the use of existing refrigerants with high global warming potential (GWP).
Any system with more than 3kg of these refrigerants, known as F-Gases, are subject to inspections at least every 12 months to help reduce the likelihood of leaks. However, an impending ban on servicing equipment that uses refrigerant with a particularly high GWP makes a transition away from these gases even more urgent.
From January 2020, refrigerants with a GWP of 2500 or higher in equipment with a charge of 40 tonnes CO2 equivalent or above cannot be topped up. There is an exception for reclaimed refrigerants until 2030, but these are likely to become scarce so long-term solutions are preferable.
Drivers of Change
RAC Magazine and refrigerant specialist Chemours have produced a report in which they explore the impact of the legislation and the options for commercial applications, including the implications for air conditioning servicing.
The report lists three key drivers of change: bans on new equipment, the servicing ban that prevents topping up systems with certain high-GWP materials, and urgency created by a steep drop in availability in 2018.
For those who need to make a change, the best solution may be to retrofit existing equipment with alternative refrigerants, although some of the options available are likely to be affected by future restrictions. Replacement equipment may be a more effective long-term solution, but is not always practical.
Chemours recommends considering four key criteria as part of any solution:
- Is the alternative a long-term solution with respect to the F-Gas phasedown?
- Does the alternative give better or at least equivalent energy performance to what is being replaced?
- How does the alternative affect the total cost of operating the system over its lifetime?
- How quickly, easily and safely can it be implemented?
These questions can only be answered with the help of experienced professionals, so if you want to future-proof your air conditioning system, contact the 361 Servicing team to discuss retrofitting and replacement options.
