ACR Journal

CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai acrjournal.uk REFRIGERANTS Heat pump opportunities 43 As the Government seeks to reduce carbon emissions and meet its net-zero target by 2050, one of the big focus areas will be the decarbonisation of heating. Most heating in the UK still relies on burning fossil fuels like natural gas, LPG and heating oil, but a switch to heat pumps will bring about a cleaner more sustainable solution. According to the Committee on Climate Change, 19 million heat pumps will need to be installed in the UK by 2050 to help the nation rise to this low carbon challenge. A key factor in making this happen will be the RAC industry and this presents a massive opportunity for our sector. Heat pumps are an extremely e… cient way of heating, due to their high coe… cient of performance. They also reduce our carbon emissions and if the electricity powering them is also from a sustainable source, then the heating provided can be zero-carbon too. As far as refrigerants are concerned, a one-size fits all philosophy is not the way forward and your decision will depend on the job in question as it could involve an air, ground-source or water-based system, but there a number of frequently used refrigerants which are contenders. R410A has arguably been the refrigerant of choice in heat pumps for many years John Ormerod, Managing Director of A-Gas in Europe, on the low GWP alternatives available to help reduce emissions. but its high GWP will put it under pressure from the F-Gas phase down. It is rapidly being replaced by R32, an A2L or lower flammability refrigerant. R32 demonstrates excellent e… ciency in heat pump systems and smaller charge sizes are often the case in the latest models. Use of an A2L like R32 does bring some challenges due to the mild flammability and installers are advised to consult with the manufacturer about the safe installation of this equipment. We have seen over the years that there is no guarantee that any refrigerant is futureproof but it is a good bet that R32 will be a preferred option in heat pumps for many years to come. Under pressure R134a has long been a popular option for medium sized or large heat pumps in commercial and industrial systems. With a GWP of 1430 it is likely to feel the impact of the F-Gas phase downs over time and may be considered as an “old-school” option as a result. Availability of these legacy products may come under pressure as the F-Gas quota system continues to step down over the coming years. New generation, low GWP refrigerants, such as the non-flammable options R450A (N13) or R513A (XP10), may provide a long- term solution as they both have a GWP significantly lower than R134a. Installers should take specific advice if choosing to retrofit a system with one of these refrigerants. Ultra-low GWP refrigerants like R290 (propane), CO2 and R1234ze are also starting to become significant in this sector and are being ošered as options by some original equipment manufacturers. However, you should be aware that flammable refrigerants like propane will need to meet the relevant safety requirements and this will narrow down the applications they can be used for. The direction of travel of the building regulations is going to have a deepening ešect on how the building services industry operates. Installers will be forced to consider low carbon technologies to a much greater degree as we look to reduce emissions. Heat pumps have been around for many years but their popularity is likely to grow and this is a fantastic opportunity for the industry.

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