ACR Journal

April | May 2023 Decarbonising the economy is a top priority in the UK and the government's Build Back Greener strategy means that every industry must adjust how it operates to meet net zero by 2050 – as well as other regulations like the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES). This is particularly true for the hospitality sector. A new report by the Travel Foundation shows the tourism industry is responsible for between 8% and 11% of global direct and indirect CO 2 emissions, and accommodation represents 21% of the industry’s direct emissions. Tourism is expected to double in size by 2050, meaning emissions will increase by 73%, and 66% of the remaining climate budget will be used by the industry DECARBONISATION 32 By James Harman, Business Development Manager for Corporate Sales at Mitsubishi Electric. Helping the hotel industry to transform and accelerate the path to net zero between 2023 and 2100. Companies in the air conditioning ecosystem – such as installers, contractors and specifiers – have a huge opportunity to implement energy-efficient HVAC solutions to support the hotel industry, and the tourism industry more generally, on its way to net zero. Installers are already at the forefront of moving many industries towards modern – more efficient – systems to reduce emissions. By supporting the hospitality industry to embrace more renewable and lower-carbon forms of heating, cooling, and ventilation, installers can ensure that hotels become more energy efficient while minimising costs for owners and project managers. The impact of new legislation When recommending more sustainable and energy-efficient HVAC solutions to the hospitality industry, installers face a number of evolving regulations. For example, F-Gas regulations have been implemented to limit the total use of F-Gases in air conditioning equipment and prevent their emissions by focusing on leak detection, servicing and recovery of the gas at the product's end of life. Installers need to help the hospitality sector to consider these factors when installing new equipment to future-proof investments against ever-changing regulations. Installers must also be made aware that current regulations can increase the time and cost associated with HVAC equipment and its maintenance. For example, regulations such as BS EN378 mean that leak detection equipment may need to be deployed for occupied spaces and regularly assessed. A Hybrid Variable Refrigerant Flow (Hybrid VRF) system is one solution installers could recommend to avoid these additional equipment and maintenance costs. The distinctive feature of Hybrid VRF systems, which provide heating and cooling, is that water replaces refrigerant Volume 9 No.3 Hybrid VRF fromMitsubishi Electric at London’s Strand Palace Hotel