ACR Journal

CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai acrjournal.uk 31 TEMPORARY COOLING an attractive option, it is often but not financially practical for smaller businesses due to short-term concerns. With evolving their business becoming increasingly di cult, plant owners and operators may understandably be seeking cost-e ective solutions to solve this impasse. Potential recycled refrigerant risks With the above in mind, and in order to smooth the transition to a future where industrial and commercial refrigeration units run on non-HFC refrigeration with much smaller GWP measurements, Regulation 517/2014 includes smaller steps organisations can take. This includes the ability to use reclaimed HFC refrigerants, and recycled HFC refrigerants that have been recycled from existing on-site equipment or by organisations servicing that equipment. Due to the unstable economic climate the UK markets find themselves in for the near future, a number of organisations are electing to continue as they are before investing in new solutions and refrigeration. Yet though this is an understandable course of action, these organisations are running an expensive risk due to supply and demand issues. For example, with shortages around higher GWP refrigerants expected following the F-Gas ban’s enforcement, the cost of this stopgap solution could rise exponentially. Taking this into account, it is highly possible that organisations originally looking to opt for this cost-e ective solution could instead fall victim to market fluctuations and encounter unpredictable delays regarding the changes. Long-term hire solutions Considering all of this, it is clear that implementing the permanent changes required to adhere to the F-Gas ban would take substantial investment. Furthermore, attempting to adopt a transitionary solution such as using recycled or reclaimed HFC refrigerants could leave businesses with existing capex concerns, while compounding matters with a worsening financial situation. However, another option exists – long- term equipment hire. While UK industry continues to grapple with economic uncertainty, more companies may benefit from hiring equipment in order to remain compliant and avoid unnecessary expense before making impactful and permanent business decisions around the F-Gas ban. This includes assessing the di erent options available and how some might be able to realise better life cycle costs and carbon emission performance. Therefore, businesses can take advantage of a longer consideration period before providing the substantial upfront investment required to buy such equipment outright, while also enjoying the benefits of F-Gas ban-compliant chillers and cooling systems. Once an organisation has saved the capital needed for a permanent solution, hired equipment can also be used to minimise disruption while installation work is carried out, ensuring essential processes can continue as usual. Leaks and maintenance In addition, long-term hire provides an o - balance sheet option with no requirement for depreciation of tangible assets. As well as this, hire solutions also come with maintenance capability. Because a third- party team is available to handle product optimisation, ongoing maintenance and remedial action should issues occur, those hiring the equipment can enjoy peace of mind about its performance. This is in pronounced contrast to continuing with non-ban-compliant refrigerants and cooling systems, which due to service and maintenance bans brought in under the new regulations could be made completely unusable by a single major leak or rendered useless over an extended period through a slow leak. Alongside ensuring F-Gas ban compliance, chiller and cooling systems from suppliers such as Aggreko can help site owners and operators begin their journey towards the Government’s target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, without the disruption or hassle of capital expenditure outlay. Through the use of energy generation technologies, such as combined heat and power (CHP), lithium-ion batteries or cleaner-burning gas solutions, suppliers like Aggreko can provide the solutions and expertise required to build sustainable businesses without hitting the bottom line. There are many benefits of hiring equipment when it comes to the F-Gas phase-out, including upgrading existing equipment or buying in a new system. By channelling capex into their core activity and hiring equipment on a temporary, long-term basis, plant owners and operators can avoid the prohibitive costs associated with new system upgrade costs or replacing equipment that is coming to the end of its useful lifetime. Instead, such solutions allow time to save capital and consider all available options for a permanent solution. · Aggreko o ers a range of products that can help to manage the F-Gas phase-out. To download the guide visit: http://bit.ly/33OIrbB Long-term hire can provide another option