ACR Journal

CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai acrjournal.uk 31 REFRIGERANTS their goods and services are produced and delivered in less wasteful ways. Using reclaimed material is part of the cooling industry’s sustainable future. Our industry is well placed to reap the benefits of this circular economy – the opposite to the use and discard business model. Through the recovery and reclamation of refrigerants we are putting in place the building blocks to adopt a more holistic approach to the way that we carry out our business. New refrigerants are emerging all the time and I have no doubt that we will develop more ecient ways to increase their longevity. My advice to end users is to have retrofit programmes on their 2021 agendas – if they haven’t done so already. Help is on hand from your refrigerant suppliers to ensure that you and your maintenance team have all that’s needed to make the switch to low GWP gases or take the reclaim option. Both will help soften the blow of the F-Gas step downs. Brexit The UK has already left the European Union but the eˆects will only be felt after the end of the transition period which ends on December 31 this year. The industry is hoping for a smooth transition with low barriers to trade and the UK continuing with the like-for-like standards and regulations it shares with its continental counterparts. The F-Gas Regulation is UK law – it is not going away. However, we are likely to see diˆerences in the way that the regulation is enforced. The qualifications our contractors hold and the trade bodies in which they are registered are going to change, with the need for contractors to hold recognised qualifications in both the UK and Europe. The management of the quota system and reporting requirements is – at the time of writing – no closer to being confirmed. Covid-19 Adding to the mix is the Covid-19 pandemic. The cooling industry has responded well to the demands of the pandemic and its role in keeping essential services running should not be forgotten. Key maintenance has continued at hospitals, supermarkets and food processing plants where refrigeration, air conditioning and ventilation has been important in helping society to cope with the pandemic. Unfortunately, the hospitality sector and its supply chains have been hit hard by lockdowns and other restrictions. This looks set to continue over the winter period as infection rates rise again. Refrigerants supplied by A-Gas have been critical in keeping the country running. I do not see this changing in the coming months. Another year of uncertainty is ahead of us. We are used to managing change in the cooling industry and I have no doubt that again we will rise to the challenges ahead. www.agas.com Refrigerants supplied by A-Gas have been critical in keeping the country running Refrigerant recovery and reclamation have a significant role to play Refrigerants A-Gas.indd 31 03/12/2020 11:57