F-gas Basics and the New Requirements
Fluorinated gases are greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming and subsequent climate change.
You can see from the chart above that each substance is graded not just for global-warming potential, but also for safety. The EU’s F-gas regulations thus involve two parameters – making it critical that you are familiar with both as you examine the options.
Design for Compliance
To complicate matters further, the F-gas regulations apply different standards to different AHU designs and capacities. Plus, the rules will continue becoming stricter, and the F-gas regulations contain a schedule for when manufacturers must switch to the next F-gas refrigerant with an even lower GWP.
Knowing all the rules is your key to designing heat-pump solutions that will satisfy your customers and remain compliant even as regulations grow more stringent.
Here is a general overview of products that will be banned starting January 1 of each year:
Different circumstances demand different designs, whether split, integrated reversible or monoblock. What’s critical in these times is that you always factor the updated F-gas regulations into your design planning.
“These are exciting times for heat-pump integration and the AHU business in general. The market is now transitioning from high-emission HFCs to HFC–HFO blends, reducing emissions in the process. Some manufacturers have gone even further by adopting R290 (propane). With more reductions mandated over the years to come, we are meeting the climate challenge together, and we look forward to a net zero Europe in 2050.”
Jens Antonsen, Product Manager, OJ Electronics
Disclaimer
The binding interpretation of this and other EU legislation is the exclusive responsibility of the Court of Justice of the European Union. A set of Implementing Acts will be published over the next years and should help the industry interpret this Regulation, although grey zones will still exist. For the time being at least, manufacturers are responsible for compliance, but we recommend that manufacturers coordinate their efforts with relevant national authorities.
