International News
especially CO₂ . New technologies ( ejector , gas cooler , overfeeding evaporators , etc .) are making CO₂ chillers at least as efficient as HFC / HFO chillers also in warm climates ( T ambient > 20 ° C ). Complexity and cost of transcritical refrigerant circuits are limiting wider adoption , but the increase in the number of units manufactured is going to squeeze costs and make them affordable . Several manufacturers are also prototyping small CO₂ chillers targeting profitable industrial niches such as laboratories and pharmaceutical plants , which are definitely more willing to absorb higher unit prices .
We should not forget the many CO₂ units partially released and partially under development for MACs in both trains and new electric buses . In the latter case , the vehicle ’ s MAC units also need to provide heating , as there is no internal combustion engine , thus the vehicles are equipped with cooling and heating units ( in other words a CO₂ HP ). We are already there !
In commercial HVAC , together with the new units proposed with R-32 and R-452B / R-454B , we are already seeing in Europe some examples of commercial chillers , HPs and rooftops using propane . The main limitation until now , together with the safety concerns about the amount of A3-flammable propane needed , has been the partial availability of components suitable for this gas , as components were initially designed for smaller units . Industry is moving quickly and is almost ready to flood market with properly-sized components , so it is no secret that with current limited numbers the cost of production of a propane rooftop is currently just 10 % higher than a standard R-407C with the same efficiency . It is easy to imagine how easily the two costs will be aligned as soon as supply chain starts mass production .
In these two articles , we have seen a couple of key examples of how the HVAC industry can contribute to the EU ’ s 2050 neutrality target by working on the electrification of heating and cooling and by fostering deployment of solutions based on natural refrigerants with low or even near-to-zero GWP .
Overall , it seems that all European stakeholders are definitely accelerating to make it happen :
• EU legislators are significantly directing the huge amount of money from the EU recovery fund towards green initiatives and are ready to adapt policies accordingly ;
• Suppliers have many technical solutions already available and on the shelves , it ’ s a question now of deployment and know-how transfer to make them affordable to everyone ; and
• Manufacturers of HVAC units are investing directly in natural refrigerant technology , predicting that they will acquire valuable learning experiences , which will strengthen the foundations of their future business .
End users , as nothing can happen without them ( well , “ us ”) as their awareness of green topics has never been so high . They will no longer be asked to pay more for a green HVAC unit and they will simply ask for it , otherwise they won ’ t buy it .
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the HVACR industry , and this is really happening now . RACA
RACA Journal I February 2021 13