International News
REFINING THE CONCEPT
OF CLEAN COOLING
The Centre For Sustainable Cooling and shecco unveiled a
collaborative project that refines the concept of Clean Cooling.
According to the two organisations, natural refrigerants will
play a key role in the implementation of ‘Clean Cooling’.
Clean Cooling represents a holistic approach to refrigeration
and air conditioning systems that incorporates the most efficient
and environmentally friendly technologies while addressing
the pressing societal need for cooling equipment in developing
countries.
Clean Cooling “by definition includes the complete transition
from fluorinated refrigerants to natural refrigerants, including
CO 2
, ammonia, hydrocarbons, water and air,” says Toby Peters,
co-director of the Centre For Sustainable Cooling, and professor in
Cold Economy at the University of Birmingham.
Overall, Clean Cooling “provides resilient cooling for all who
need it without environmental damage and climate impact,”
he adds. It “meets cooling needs while contributing towards
achieving society’s goals for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
reduction, climate change mitigation, natural resource
conservation and air quality improvement.”
Moreover, Clean Cooling “must be accessible, affordable,
financially sustainable, scalable, safe, and reliable to help deliver
societal, economic and health goals as defined by the United
Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
To help accelerate the transition from traditional cooling to
Clean Cooling, the Centre For Sustainable Cooling is developing
a set of measurable standards for Clean Cooling against which
cooling innovation and projects can be assessed. “These
standards will help all stakeholders to properly understand
and quantify the true sustainability (financial, social and
environmental) of cooling technology, including CO 2
e emissions
reduction,” he says. Depending on market interest, this could
become the basis for a first-of-its-kind formal Clean Cooling Auditand-Certification
Programme.
“As we create the framework for the definition and
measurement of Clean Cooling, we welcome comments from all
stakeholders,” says Peters and Marc Chasserot, CEO of shecco.
“Clean Cooling will be the gold standard for everything to do with
cooling systems,” adds Chasserot. “It will bring all the pieces of
the cooling puzzle into one measurable whole.”
The Clean Cooling document acknowledges there are
“circumstances in which a particular societal need for cooling –
shecco
often with life-and-death implications – is not aligned with the
use of natural refrigerants. In these cases, natural refrigerants
and related technology – as well as skilled technicians who can
address the safety and technical challenges associated with
natural refrigerants – may not be available in the short term. Thus,
alternatives may need to be employed to support critical cooling
of foods and medicines, particularly in developing countries.”
“In these exceptional cases,” the document continues,
“we should still be targeting ultra-low-GWP refrigerants – i.e.
with a GWP of less than 30 – if a system is still to be regarded
as representing Clean Cooling. But this could be lifted to a
maximum GWP of 250 where there is supporting Total Equivalent
Warming Impact (TEWI) or Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) data or
safety assessments to justify not using natural or ultra-low-GWP
refrigerants; there must also be maintenance programmes in
place to minimise leakage and facilitate end-of-life management.
This maximum GWP should be regularly reviewed based
on available technology, system enhancements and skills
development.”
The document concludes, “The use of fluorinated rather than
natural refrigerants in Clean Cooling systems must never be
viewed as anything other than a short-term expedient measure
needed to address particular exigencies, with a clear eye to
transitioning to naturals as soon as possible.” RACA ‐
The Clean
Cooling
document
compiled by
shecco and
the Centre of
Sustainable
Cooling looks at
refining ‘clean
cooling’.
www.hvacronline.co.za RACA Journal I August 2020 9