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New Refrigerants Question Time Introductory Comments. Ray Gluckman Director, Climate Change SKM Enviros April 26 th 2012, RAC, London . SKM Enviros . Environmental Consultancy 500 staff in UK Part of SKM, Australian Engineering Consultancy 7,000 staff worldwide
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New Refrigerants Question TimeIntroductory Comments Ray Gluckman Director, Climate Change SKM Enviros April 26th2012, RAC, London
SKM Enviros • Environmental Consultancy • 500 staff in UK • Part of SKM, Australian Engineering Consultancy • 7,000 staff worldwide • Ray Gluckman – Director of Climate Change Group • 100 staff involved in climate change work • wide range of activities related to reducing GHG emissions • RAC and F Gases are areas of special expertise
What next for refrigerant regulations? • High GWP refrigerants unlikely to be available long term • EC: F-Gas Regulation under review (? 2013/4) • Some of the options being considered: • HFC bans in specified product areas (new equipment) • HFC phase down schedule • International scene • discussions about HFC phase down via Montreal Protocol - ? impact by 2015/6
Bans versus Phase Down • Bans • provide certainty • successful driver of innovation (MAC Directive) • but require GWP threshold and start date – inflexible • Phase Down • allows market much flexibility • affects new and existing equipment • but, “investment pointers” are less clear • Phase down seems to be current favourite
HFC Emission Reduction Strategies • Very low GWP fluids (e.g. GWPs much less than 150) • best solution, but many constraints • Low GWP fluids (e.g. GWPs between 150 and 1,000) • Medium GWP fluids to replace high GWP refrigerants • e.g. fluid with a GWP of under 2,000 to replace the widely used HFC 404A which has a GWP of 3,922) • part of “dual strategy” – enables early cuts in 404A • Low charge and low leakage technologies and improved maintenance to reduce the leakage
Use of Flammable Refrigerants (1) • Lots of important development work needed • Currently 3 categories in safety codes • non-flammable e.g. HFC 134a, CO2 • slightly flammable e.g. ammonia, HFC 32 • highly flammable e.g. HC 290 (propane) • New category being introduced: • 2L – lower flammability than 2, but slightly flammable
Use of Flammable Refrigerants (2) • Some interesting issues: • Is a single new safety code category sufficient? • e.g. should HFC 32 and HFO 1234yf be in same category • will “Blend 300” be less flammable than HFO 1234yf? • What impact does actual flammability have on choice of refrigerants in different applications • e.g. how much refrigerant in 1234yf DX system • Will new safety category restrict use further
Contact Details Ray Gluckman SKM Enviros New City Court, 20 St Thomas Street, London, SE1 9RS email: rgluckman@globalskm.com Tel: 01932 866344