Many new refrigerants, which to select?

Chemical or natural refrigerants? Get advice and be ready for the future

Future-proof refrigerants

Phase-out and phase-down schemes of chemical refrigerants are nowadays widely being discussed. At the moment the regulation EU/517/2014 on fluorinated greenhouse gasses is at the basis of national legislation throughout Europe. Therefore, a large group of refrigerants with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 2,500 and more will be phased-out. Among these are the (former) popular refrigerants such as R507 and R404A. Furthermore, for all chemical refrigerants the production will be limited based on a total amount of CO2 equivalent production and import, this phase-down scheme will result in increasing prices for refrigerants. Additionally, subsidy and certifications such as BREEAM will affect the choice of refrigerant. Please contact us for the actual status of the phase-down of refrigerants, and the risk and possibilities in these matters.

Alternatives for chemical refrigerants are the natural refrigerants, such as Ammonia (NH3), CO2, propane, and others. The usage of natural refrigerants requires special knowledge of legislations, regulations, national guidelines, and other requirements, and of course knowledge of refrigeration. The right choice for a refrigerant is therefore essential for refrigeration installations and heat pumps.

Verhoef Consultancy advises during the design-phase of new installations or perhaps guides you through the phase-out process in existing installations. The right selection of refrigerant will be discussed widely, based on the specific requirements for the refrigeration installation and/or heat pump.

In refrigeration installations that use refrigerants with a high Global Warming Potential (GWP), a replacement refrigerant (a retrofit) might be a possibility. Note that independent advise is essential since a retrofit might not always be the best solution, and might even not be suitable for the given installation, for example given the age, the quality, design pressures, expected future developments, and so on. Please contact us so that we can discuss this specific issue and perhaps offer our services. Note that for a retrofit there is no standard solution or advice.

Verhoef Consultancy is a reliable partner, we can assist in a selection of refrigerants suitable for your situation. Please contact us for more information.

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