Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), commonly used in air conditioners and refrigerators, first became popular in the 1990s when they were used to replace ozone-depleting gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC). Under the terms of the Montreal Protocol which was signed in 1987, the CFC and HCFC class of refrigerants are currently in the later stages of being phased out as part of the agreement.
HCFC phase-out schedule… Source: U.S. EPA
High-level discussions among regulatory and government bodies globally on the high Global Warming Potential (GWP) of HFCs in recent years has prompted speculation about the regulatory measures to reduce the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The Indian government in particular has taken on a proactive role by putting forward its own proposal to amend the Montreal Protocol and phase-down HFCs, alongside three other different proposals – a joint proposal by US, Canada and Mexico (the North American proposal), a joint proposal by Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia (Federated States), Palau, Philippines, Samoa and Solomon Islands (the Island States Proposal), and the European Union proposal.
It is noteworthy that among the four submissions, India’s proposal was considered to be the most equitable, allowing for a reduction of 55 per cent of HFCs consumption from a business-as-usual scenario. In addition, India’s proposal requested for a 15-year grace period for developing countries (article 5 parties) to phase out HFCs and shift to newer technologies, over the deadlines set for developed countries.
Proposal by India: HFC Reduction Steps for Non-Article 5 and Article 5 Parties (% of baseline)…
Source: India Environment Portal
Things have continued to progress. A recent meeting by the 197 parties to the Montreal Protocol in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in the last quarter of 2015 saw members agree to begin work on an amendment to reduce the global production and consumption of HFCs by the end of the current year. This has only served to stir up confusion around the status of HFC refrigerants and potential alternatives for new HVAC equipment.
What are the Viable Alternatives to HFCs Available in Market?
A variety of options that are put forward as alternatives to HFCs include hydrocarbons, hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) and HFO/HFC blends. However, most options have trade-offs in terms of lower efficiency, lower capacity, or both; flammability and cost. For example, hydrocarbons are flammable and require specially trained operators, additional safety considerations, and even then are still limited by codes for commercial applications. HFO and HFO/HFC blends cost more than HFCs and are usually not able to match HFCs in efficiency and capacity. In addition, market adoption for these alternatives is predicted to be slow given the various hurdles for adoption.
While there is general consensus that there is a need to move towards alternatives with lower-GWP, there are many factors that point to HFCs still being the logical choice for the industry for the foreseeable future. HFCs remain widely used and available as they are low cost, efficient and safe. There is also a general understanding among industry experts that it is simply too soon and too risky to make a change to HFOs and other new refrigerants – as it may take a decade or more for these alternatives to be properly tested and approved by the relevant agencies and authorities.
In the meantime, any uncertainty that dealers, building owners and operators are experiencing – while understandable – is mostly unwarranted as governing bodies will continue to ensure that all parties concerned will be given ample time to make the shift when the time is ripe.
Already, global Heating, Ventilation And Air Conditioning (HVAC) manufacturers including Johnson Controls have taken steps to ensure that alternatives are in the pipeline, with the company reaffirming its commitment to investing US$50 million towards the development and expansion of its low-GWP portfolio at a recent White House roundtable discussion on greenhouse gas emissions. As part of this initiative, Johnson Controls will also offer equipment that can be readily retrofitted with low-GWP options for customers concerned that they will not receive the full value over the entire life of their equipment, as well as develop aftermarket retrofit services for customers – who desire to convert their existing equipment to low-GWP refrigerants.
HFCs Continue to Perform Best
Even as the search continues for comparable alternatives, widely used refrigerants such as R-134a and R-410A are still the products of choice as they represent the best balance of attributes of an optimal refrigerant.
For decades, Johnson Controls’ selection of refrigerants have been guided by three sets of criteria that must be considered before the selection of a particular refrigerant. These considerations have helped Johnson Controls serve and make the best decision for its customers at any given time.
Johnson Controls’criteria for selection of refrigerant…
Safety and Reliability
There are many considerations when it comes to safety, chief of which includes the flammability and toxicity of the refrigerant. Commercial refrigerants that are entering the market, including newer HFC and HFO refrigerants, are flammable. Most safety standards and building codes do not allow flammable refrigerants in commercial applications. While codes and standards are currently being revised, the potential use of flammable refrigerants will require additional safety and ventilation solutions to mitigate risks – this adds to the installed cost of the system. In view of this, building standards and codes must also be updated to address these risks before flammable refrigerants can be used safety.
Restrictions on flammable refrigerants will also potentially restrict their penetration in commercial markets, especially in buildings with heavy foot traffic such as offices and schools. Added cost in the form of ventilation and other safety equipment, and costs for service technician, operator and other occupants, and increased liability will further hinder their penetration into the commercial market.
The toxic nature of some of these new refrigerants means that existing practices for handling these substances need to be improved. Technicians and personnel servicing HVAC and refrigeration systems will need to be re-trained and equipped with the proper tools to maintain these systems safety.
At the same time, reliability is key as incompatibility with HVAC system gaskets, elastomers, and materials of construction may result in refrigerants breaking down over time, impacting system performance and operating costs, or worse causing damage to the equipment. For these reasons, HFCs such as R-134a remain the refrigerant of choice having been tested extensively for safety and reliability across a wide range of systems and across different applications.
Efficiency and Sustainability
As with most industries time and experience is required to optimise a system based on a specific input, the HVAC industry is no different. A majority of the existing systems and equipment in use and available in the market have been optimised for refrigerants such as R-134a and R-410A, with no alternatives able to yet fully match their thermal efficiency and performance.
This is critical as chillers that utilise these new alternative refrigerants not optimised for these systems will likely exhibit lower efficiency, resulting in higher operating and maintenance costs over time.
This leads us to a separate discussion on sustainability. While it is true that HFCs have higher GWPs than newer alternatives being offered, it is important to note that efficiency is essential to determining a chiller’s environmental impact – as roughly 95 percent of a chiller’s lifetime carbon footprint comes from indirect emissions. In simple terms, cooling less efficient chiller uses more energy; energy that is mostly produced by burning fossil fuels. As the additional electricity is usually generated by plants burning fossil fuel, this indirectly increases the amount of carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere.
The use of new refrigerants should consider the net carbon footprint, not just the GWP. To meet this goal, energy efficiency cannot, and should not, be sacrificed.
The YVAA Air-Cooled Variable Speed Drive Screw Chiller from YORK uses the widely available HFC-134a refrigerant…
Availability and Affordability
To be truly viable, alternative refrigerants must also be affordable. Many of the emerging refrigerants available today are more complex to manufacture and this is reflected in their prices, which can be up to 50 times more than existing fluids. While these costs will eventually decline and stabilise due to greater adoption, economies of scale from increased production and matured supply chains, these alternatives are still forecasted to cost several times more than current refrigerants such as the R-134a and R-410A.
This also brings to mind the question of availability given the limited quantities and release of new refrigerants in selected markets – something that building owners and operators should consider in their choice of equipment and refrigerants.
In the absence of updated codes and standards, it would be challenging to locate skilled personnel (trained and familiar with these refrigerants). All these inevitably point to increased operating costs over the lifecycle of the product, especially, if both the refrigerants and manpower remains limited in supply.
HFCs – The Logical Choice
In conclusion, we are in the early stages of changes, and no industry can or will remain stagnant. However, HFCs continue to be the best choice of refrigerant for the foreseeable future for the lack of a comparable alternative.
While no refrigerant is perfect, HFCs currently provide us with the best balance of an optimal refrigerant: safety and reliability; efficiency and sustainability; and the availability and affordability that the industry needs.
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