Technical
comparison to R410A allows HVAC engineers the opportunity to design smaller compressors and coils .
These characteristics of R-32 help give engineers the tools they need to design R-32 systems with energy savings and a reduction in the material used . And these indirect benefits can have a significant impact on the environment that are not accounted for in a GWP rating alone . A number of recent LCCP studies 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 have found that
CO 2 emissions due to electrical energy consumption is a significant contributor to an HVAC system ’ s lifetimeemissions calculation . Among other considerations related to manufacturing , materials , and related process , LCCP analysis takes into account emissions generated by the power plant supplying the electricity subsequently used by the HVAC equipment during that equipment ’ s useful lifetime .
A large portion of the total lifetime emissions of an HVAC system are due to the system ’ s electricity consumption . According to these LCCP calculations , electricity consumption can contribute up to 85 % of the total emissions over a system ’ s lifetime . As a result , a refrigerant that achieves higher energy efficiency in use could be more effective in protecting the climate than its GWP rating suggests .
The total electricity consumption of an air conditioner or heat pump depends on a number of factors , including the regional climate , surrounding infrastructure and the system ’ s cooling capacity and energy efficiency . Since the location , infrastructure and cooling capacity are the same for a given application , the differentiating factor between systems is typically system efficiency .
More efficient systems consume less electricity . Hence , a small change in efficiency can make a significant reduction in environmental impact over the system ’ s lifetime . R-32 refrigerant allows engineers to design systems that can reduce environmental impact . Due to R-32 ’ s excellent thermodynamic properties , R-32 systems can be designed and engineered to be up to 12 % more efficient when compared to similar R-410A systems . And R-32 systems can be designed to achieve performance improvements over a broad range of operating conditions .
Daikin lab tests on rooftop systems equipped with inverterdriven compressors and water-cooled chillers found that full-load and part-load efficiency rating metrics improved by up to 12 % by using R-32 as compared to R410A . Daikin engineers have also found that R-32 can be used in heat pump and cooling
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RACA Journal I February 2023 www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za