50 Examples of Natural Refrigerant Stories in Article 5 Countries Ŝŷƚƌžěƶđɵžŷ !"#$%&"#'"$(

50 EXAMPLES OF NATURAL REFRIGERANT STORIES IN ARTICLE 5 COUNTRIES ŝŶƚƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ !"#$%&"#'"$(

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dŽĂůůŽǁĨŽƌĂŵŽƌĞĞĸĐŝĞŶƚƐĞĂƌĐŚ͕ƚŚĞĂƌƟĐůĞƐĂƌĞƐŽƌƚĞĚďǇƌĞĨƌŝŐĞƌĂŶƚ͕ƐƚĂƌƟŶŐ

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ƐŚĞĐĐŽŝƐĂŵĂƌŬĞƟŶŐƐƉĞĐŝĂůŝƐƚŚĞůƉŝŶŐŝƚƐƉĂƌƚŶĞƌƐǁŽƌůĚǁŝĚĞƚŽĂĚǀĂŶĐĞƚŚĞƵƐĞŽĨ ĐůŝŵĂƚĞͲĨƌŝĞŶĚůǇƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐŝĞƐ͘dŚĞƌƵƐƐĞůƐͲďĂƐĞĚŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƟŽŶŚĂƐĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚƐƉĞĐŝĂů ĞǆƉĞƌƟƐĞŽŶƚŚĞƵƐĞŽĨŶĂƚƵƌĂůƌĞĨƌŝŐĞƌĂŶƚƐ͕ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐĐĂƌďŽŶĚŝŽǆŝĚĞ͕ĂŵŵŽŶŝĂĂŶĚ ŚǇĚƌŽĐĂƌďŽŶƐ͘ƐŚĞĐĐŽƐƵƉƉŽƌƚƐƚŚĞŐůŽďĂůŚĞĂƟŶŐ͕ĂŝƌͲĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶŝŶŐĂŶĚƌĞĨƌŝŐĞƌĂƟŽŶ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌǇŝŶŝƚƐƚƌĂŶƐŝƟŽŶĨƌŽŵ&Ɛ͕,&ƐĂŶĚ,&ƐƚŽǁĂƌĚƐŵŽƌĞĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐĂůůǇ͕ ĞĐŽůŽŐŝĐĂůůǇĂŶĚƐŽĐŝĂůůǇƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĂďůĞƌĞĨƌŝŐĞƌĂŶƚŽƉƟŽŶƐ͘ ǁǁǁ͘ĂŵŵŽŶŝĂϮϭ͘ĐŽŵ

ǁǁǁ͘ŚǇĚƌŽĐĂƌďŽŶƐϮϭ͘ĐŽŵ

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Multilateral Fund approves funding for CO2 demonstration in Nigeria R744.com - 2010-08-09

In the 61st meeting of its Executive Committee, the Multilateral Fund for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol approved Japan’s request for funding for the preparation of a project that will validate the application of transcritical CO2 to ice-block makers in Nigeria.

The project will evaluate the technical and commercial viability of the use of CO2 as a refrigerant to replace HCFC-22 in split-type commercial refrigeration equipment, in particular at low temperatures (freezing).

Project preparation funds of US $30,000 will be used to develop an investment proposal that when implemented will:

Develop replicable models for use in other similar manufacturing enterprises Establish the technical performance and economic feasibility of CO2 refrigeration technology for low-temperature applications Support the development of methodologies and gathering of experience for calculating incremental cost for this particular technology

The project counterpart enterprise Austin Laz was established in 1982 and is one of the major manufacturers of commercial refrigeration systems in Nigeria.

Approved project in China in previous meeting

In a previous meeting of the MLF Executive Committee, China received financial support to implement a pilot HCFC phase-out project titled ‘Cascade refrigeration system with NH3/CO2 instead of R22’ proposed by Yantai Moon.

Background and next steps

The Multilateral Fund was established by a decision of the Second Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in 1990 and began its operation in 1991. Its main objective is to assist developing country parties to the Montreal Protocol whose annual per capita consumption and production of ozone depleting substances (ODS) is less than 0.3 kg to comply with the control measures of the Protocol. As of November 2009 the contributions made to the Multilateral Fund by some 49 industrialized countries totalled over US$ 2.5 billion.

The 62th meeting of Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund is scheduled to take place between 29 November and 3 December 2010, in Montreal, Canada.

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Gustav Lorentzen 2010: Overview of papers Part 1 R744.com - 2010-04-12

The Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre has opened its doors for the participants of the 9th Gustav Lorentzen conference. This first article provides an overview of a selection of technical papers regarding R744 that were presented on day 1 of the event.

The 9th edition of the Gustav Lorentzen conference on Natural Working Fluids has attracted close to 170 participants from 26 countries. With the conference being held for the first time in the Southern hemisphere, most of the participants (40%) are from Australia, about 5% from Asian countries and the rest largely from European countries.

From the first-day presentations, R744.com provides you with an overview of a selection of papers regarding R744:

CO2 - A REFRIGERANT FROM THE PAST WITH PROSPECTS OF BEING ONE OF THE MAIN REFRIGERANTS IN THE FUTURE, P. NEKSÅ, H. T. WALNUM AND A. HAFNER, SINTEF

Illustrating how CO2 technology already now has become an important alternative, Petter Nekså of SINTEF addressed the state of play of R744 in different applications in his keynote presentation. Already developed and commercialised applications for example include heat pump water heaters, centralised commercial refrigeration systems (supermarkets) and light commercial refrigeration applications (e.g. beverage coolers, ice cream chest freezers), water chillers for moderate climates etc. Mobile air conditioning on the other hand, although already developed, is not yet commercialised, while new applications under development include for example mobile heat pumps, vending machines for combined hot and cold beverages, combined heating and cooling of non- residential and residential buildings, heat pump dryers etc.

Although components are available in different capacity ranges, production numbers for some of them is still an issue. Another important barrier for some applications is energy efficiency at high heat sink temperatures. The most important barrier however, the authors note, may be the scepticism to new technology among both manufacturers and end-users.

Finally the authors provide an overview of developments regarding components for CO2 during the latest years and areas of investigation that could improve system efficiency. For example, applying an ejector in a CO2 transcritical system has the potential of larger COP improvements due to the higher relative throttling loss. Moreover, although several expander concepts for CO2 have been investigated and developed (e.g. piston, rotary vane, scroll and turbo), so far none of them seem to have been commercialised, an important future task to be investigated for improving efficiency.

AN HFC/HCFC FREE FOOD PROCESSING PLANT: THE ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF A TWO STAGE TRANSCRITICAL CO2 REFRIGERATION PLANT, K. VISSER, KAV Consulting Pty Ltd

With many food processing operations frequently requiring cooling and heating simultaneously as part of the same process, Visser presented a paper reporting on a two stage transcritical CO2 refrigeration plant replacing a total of 22 independent cooling and heating systems. The systems being replaced comprise air cooled single stage HCFC and HFC condensing units for one blast freezer, one cold store, two chillers, one process chilled water chiller and four reverse cycle AC units, six R134a air to water heat pumps, three gas fired water heaters and two sets of electric under floor and door heaters for the existing blast freezer and cold store.

It is estimated that the new transcritical CO2 plant will reduce the specific electrical energy consumption by 33%, gas consumption by 60%, global warming emissions – including HFC and HCFC fugitive gases – by 40% and cooling water consumption by 62,000 litres/annum, i.e. 44%. Operating conditions are +5°C SST for office AC and processing area cooling, –5°C SST for high stage and chilling duties and –35 to –40°C SST for the booster duties serving the new cold store and blast freezer. The AC compressors also serve as economiser compressors for the main chilling and freezing plant, which therefore runs at high COPs with a virtual gas cooler CO2 exit temperature of +5°C. The AC and high stage compressors may discharge either to the two stage gas cooler or to the two water heaters to heat water to 75 to 80°C. The gas cooler will allow the discharge pressure to reduce as far as possible to permit the high stage and AC compressors to run at as high a COP as possible. But when water heating is required either the AC compressors – in the first instance – and the high stage compressors may run in transcritical mode to heat water as required.

100kW CO2 WATER HEAT SOURCE HEAT PUMP DEVELOPMENT AND STUDY FOR THE GLOBAL FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES, HIROKAZU YONEDA, MOTOBUMI (MIKE) ONO, TAKASHI (TOM) TAMURA

Mike Ono of Mayekawa/Mycom presented the newly developed commercial size water heat source CO2 heat pump. The company has developed a standardized water heat source CO2 transcritical heat pump “with the world’s largest heating capacity of 100kW. The heat pump simultaneously provides both hot and cold water with a combined Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 8.0. The heat pump can supply hot water of temperature between 65°C and 90°C, while at the same time, it can provide cold water or brine of temperature between 17°C and -10°C.

The heat pump has been introduced in a pasta production plant that started operating in June 2008. The reason for installing a water heat source CO2 heat pump in this plant was the lack of refrigeration capacity due to an increase in pasta production. The installation of the heat pump has reduced energy consumption by 51.7% and CO2 emission by 62.4%. The heat pump will also be introduced at a meat processing plant and a winery.

COMPACT, LIGHTWEIGHT UNITARY-TYPE AIR-CONDITIONER USING TRANSCRITICAL R744 DESIGNED FOR ENERGY EFFICIENT OPERATION IN HOT CLIMATES, S. ELBEL, J.A. MANZIONE, S.J. COLLIER, P. HRNJAK

Hrnjak of Creative Thermal Solutions presented latest research regarding a transcritical R744 compact, lightweight unitary-type air- conditioner with a nominal capacity of 35 kW for military shelter cooling, designed to achieve high performance at ambient temperatures of up to 51.7°C. High performance prototype components were used to realise the target performance of 35 kW at the high ambient temperature rating condition (outdoor: 51.7°C, indoor: 32.2°C - 50%RH). The new 35 kW R744 ECU used an RTPF evaporator that was originally designed for a 17.5 kW R134a ECU. When used with R744, the same coil delivered 140% more capacity in comparison to the original R134a system.

Based on manufacturer data, the researchers found that the COP of this new R744 Environmental Control Unit (ECU) is approximately 30% higher than that of a comparable R134a ECU and approximately 20% higher than that of a comparable R410A ECU. In addition, the new 35 kW R744 ECU was found to be 60% (cooling per weight ratio) and 40% (cooling per volume ratio) more compact than comparable R134a technology, while the compactness levels of R744 and R410A technology were found to be approximately equal. According to Hrnjak, further performance improvements can be achieved by using a refrigerant ejector or expander to reduce the significant throttling losses that R744 experiences at elevated ambient conditions.

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CAREL supports Carrefour with first CO2 installation in Turkey R744.com - 2010-03-04

Carel and the French-based hypermarket chain Carrefour worked together to develop the first subcritical CO2 installation in Turkey. The energy-efficient system installed in a supermarket uses a cascade system that supplies the low temperature units with R744.

The global supplier of solutions for the HVAC&R sector CAREL has been assigned by Carrefour to manage the first subcritical CO2 refrigeration system in a supermarket in Istanbul. The new system that has been chosen to reduce environmental emissions uses a cascade system that supplies the medium temperature (MT) refrigeration units and the CO2 condenser with R404a, and supplies the low temperature (LT) units with R744. The installation and commissioning was being carried out by Cozum Sogutma.

CAREL retail sistema has the task of managing the entire refrigeration system. The complete solution implemented by CAREL includes:

PVPRO supervisor system pRack electronic controller for the compressor racks MPXPRO to manage condensation of the CO2 in the LT system; manage all refrigeration units (showcases and cold rooms) E2V electronic valves: - expansion valve for superheat control on the units

To further increase the saving of energy, CAREL implemented floating suction pressure for all compressor racks as well as showcase anti-sweat modulation relay, heat recovery on the compressor rack and a smart/skip defrost function.

CAREL supplies solutions and control systems for the retail market, and is heavily committed to basic and applied research into energy savings, reduction of environmental impact and innovation in the management of systems. CAREL Turkey, based in Izmir, provides customers technical support in addition to various types of solutions, both simple and advanced, through the development of new algorithms directly by the subsidiary.

About CAREL

The manufacturing group employs more than 700 staff in its headquarters in Italy and 11 subsidiaries in Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. With a sales network in over 70 countries, the CAREL group is a global supplier of solutions for the HVAC&R sector, including electronic controllers, humidifiers, and telemaintenance systems for chillers, compressor packs, showcases, or cold storage rooms.

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Brazilian première for CO2 supermarket refrigeration to save 20% energy R744.com - 2010-07-02

Brazilian retailer Verdemar has found CO2 refrigeration to be the best starting point for a more sustainable way of cooling food. The result is South America’s first store using a CO2 cascade system that reports 20% energy savings.

In April 2010, the Brazilian supermarket chain Verdemar opened the first store using CO2 as a refrigerant in the suburb of Jardim Canada, Nova Lima - in the State of Minas Gerais, in Brazil. The CO2 cascade system in the 6,000 m2 store is forecasted to slash one fifth off its energy consumption in comparison with other Verdemar stores with the same cooling capacity using R22. Convinced about the energy performance of CO2, the technological pioneer supermarket chain of South America is preparing to open more stores in the near future, as well as a CO2 food distribution centre later this year.

The new store was constructed with the support of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES). Supermarket owner Alexandre Poni decided for a CO2 cascade solution after having traveled to Europe where CO2 has established itself as a standard solution for cascade systems, and is also constantly increasing its share for CO2-only installations. Poni’s initative was meant to not only address environmental issues but also opt for a solution that would be economically and socially viable.

Patented CO2 system by Brazilian manufacturer

Used in the Verdemar store is a patented cascade application developed by Brazilian manufacturer Plotter & Racks. The installation uses CO2 in the low stage system with direct expansion linked to the island and freezing rooms. Propylene glycol supplies cold temperatures to the medium temperature cold rooms and display cases. In the high stage system, R134a is used with a much reduced refrigerant charge, which only acts in the cooling of both propylene glycol and CO2 condensation.

The potential emissions of the system is approximately 6 times lower compared to other existing technologies in the market that use synthetic refrigerants, such as R404a. Moreover, CO2 refrigerant charge is very low due to its high volumetric cooling capacity that is 5 to 8 times higher than that of R22 or R404A.

In terms of cooling capacity the Verdermar supermarket has a cooling capacity of 200 KW for the MT system (at - 2ºC with Propylene Glycol pumped) and a cooling capacity of 36 KW for the LT system (at- 32ºC direct expansion) with CO2.

Innovative Features to reduce Energy Bills

Beyond the ecological benefits, the installed system has other advantages that guarantee less consumption of electric energy:

Heat Recovery: As Jardim Canada is a cold region, the new store offers an extra comfort to the customers: a heated floor. The heat recovery system provides hot water to the entire store which is circulating through the pipes to also heat the floor. This system uses the heat rejected from the high-pressure stage to heat the water with a zero energy cost. This process occurs in a heat exchanger which is installed on the compressors` discharge line. The result is effective heating to warm staff and customers without an added energy cost.

Condensing temperature reduction system: The patented system ensures that before entering the condenser coil, air first passes through a “panel” which flows with water, diminishing the inlet air temperature and, as a result the condensing temperature as well. With this, the system coefficient of performance is raised significantly, increasing the cooling capacity of the compressors with lower energy cost. Condenser fans with direct-current and variable speed: These are more efficient and provide higher stability of the condensing temperature. As a result, energy consumption is lower and the life expectancy of the compressors is increased.

Electronic expansion valves: They are used in both CO2 and propylene glycol heat exchangers to provide better stability of the evaporating temperature in the high-pressure stage, and therefore bigger energy savings.

Electronic controllers: They guarantee safe and efficient operation of the entire system by allowing for local or remote access via the Internet, which sends notifications of any alarms via SMS. They are also important tools for the thorough, preventive maintenance of the entire system, thus greatly reducing the risk of operational failure.

Innovative and climate friendly compressors by Bitzer

Already in 2008, Bitzer Brazil, also a major driver in the Verdemar project, opened a CO2 Technology & Training Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to prove the superiority of CO2 in relation to traditional chemical fluids. The focus of this centre is to promote technical improvement, in a simple and objective way, of carbon dioxide applications technology.

The Octagon compressors used in the Verdemar store for the CO2 subcritical application are designed with an advanced centrifugal lubrication system by dynamic disc that guarantees excellent lubrication in the moving parts and promotes a longer life expectancy of the compressor. More information about Bitzer’s compressor you can find in the attached papers and in the partner section of Bitzer on R744.com.

Find more detailed technical information in the two papers in the "More on this topic" section.

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R744: the refrigerant of choice for show cases around the world R744.com - 2010-12-10

A presentation given by SANDEN at the International Symposium on New Refrigerants last week in Japan provided test results that showed the superior performance of R744 compared to R1234yf and R134a in terms of energy consumption and Life-Cycle Climate Performance when used in cooling show cases. The results demonstrate that R744 outperforms the other two refrigerants not only in cold climates but in all major cities around the world, from Mumbai, Beijing and Hong Kong to Moscow.

A distinguished group of international researchers and engineers gathered last week in Kobe, Japan, for the International Symposium on New Refrigerants and Environmental Technology 2010. Organised by the Japan Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association, the event provided a platform to discuss market trends and technological perspectives on next-generation refrigerants, including the natural refrigerant CO2.

Examination of low GWP Refrigerants for Cooling Show Cases, SANDEN Corporation

Currently, there are over 30 million show cases for food stuff installed around the world. The study carried out by researchers from SANDEN with a 510 liter cooling showcase, examined the Coefficient of Performance (COP), energy consumption and the Life-Cycle Climate Performance (LCCP) of refrigeration circuits using either R744, R134a or HFC1234yf.

The cooling system of the show case was optimised for each refrigerant (e.g. the diameter of the pipes adjusted), but for the most part of the components the system was kept as identical as possible (e.g. heat exchanger). The showcases were equipped with a 36 W fluorescent light bulb for the interior light and a 18 W fluorescent light bulb for the display light.

Three different refrigeration circuits were compared, including:

R744 refrigeration circuit encompassing a 1.8cc reciprocating compressor HFC1234yf refrigeration circuit encompassing a 12cc reciprocating compressor R134a refrigeration circuit encompassing a 12cc reciprocating compressor

Testing conditions

The energy consumption measurements were based on the energy needed to maintain the temperature inside the show case at 2°C under different ambient conditions.

The energy consumption for the different circuits was measured under 5 different climatic conditions, covering different ambient temperatures and humidity values, representing from cold to hot climates:

Ambient temperature Humidity Condition A 5°C 60%RH Condition B 15°C 60%RH Condition C 24°C 60%RH Condition D 32°C 60%RH Condition E 40°C 75%RH

Factors such as the circuit pressure, the compressor's volumetric efficiency, the electro motor for powering the compressor, efficient heat-insulation etc. that influence the system's performance were kept as identical as possible between the three systems, in order to measure the performance of the refrigerant only.

R744 in show cases demonstrated high COP and low energy consumption

Under these conditions, R744 clearly outperformed the two other refrigerants in ambient temperatures up to 32°C and matched their performance in ambient temperatures up to 40°C.

For ambient temperatures of 5, 15, 24, 32°C, R744 demonstrated the highest system COP. The lower the temperature, the more significantly R744 performed better than the other refrigerants. HFC1234yf showed on average a 2% lower performance than R134a and was at 24°C ambient temperature even 5% less performing.

The measurement of energy consumption showed similar results. Again, R744 outperformed R134a and HFC1234yf in ambient temperatures of 5, 15, 24, and 32°C, consuming less energy than the other two refrigerants up to 40°C ambient temperature. The use of HFC1234yf caused on average a 2% higher energy consumption than R134a.

From Mumbai to Moscow, R744 show cases minimise annual energy consumption

SANDEN's research team took these test results and put them into the context of the average annual temperature of major cities around the world. Based on the system COP data calculated in their test series explained above, the researchers estimated the energy consumption per day for the systems under consideration in different major cities around the world. For each city, they took the average temperature per month, the average highest temperature per month and the average lowest temperature per month and used this data to calculate an average annual temperature.

As expected, the comparison showed that in regions with low temperatures, R744 systems consumed less energy than R134a or HFC1234yf systems. However, the comparison also showed a lower overall energy consumption of R744 systems in regions with high ambient temperatures. This is due to the fact that the systems use significantly less energy when temperatures come down during night time for example, and therefore counterweight the higher energy consumption during the day in high ambient temperatures.

Thus, the energy consumption (kWh/year) for R744 was found to be lower than R134a or HFC1234yf when applied to show cases in all representative cities around the world, representing cold, moderate and warm climates, including Mumbai, Beijing, Hong Kong, New York, Montreal and Moscow to name a few.

"For POS (Point of Sales) applications, SANDENis determined to contribute to the protection of the environment by supplying equipment, with CO2 working fluid, as the ultimate commercial & environmental solution. Our test results for POS applications confirms that the CO2 system is the most effective device in view of energy saving and life time cost", a SANDEN representative told R744.com.

R744 minimises emissions from cooling showcases

The researchers further used the energy consumption test results for comparing the LCCP of R744, R134a and HFC1234yf in cooling show cases around the world and found that R744 clearly minimises carbon emissions.

Looking at performance throughout the year, SANDEN’s research team concludes that R744 is a good choice as “next generation refrigerant” for cooling show cases.

"We strongly recommend that government should implement the incentives to the POS applications based on lifetime cost and LCCP", added the SANDEN representative.

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New CO2 refrigeration system for the Philippines R744.com - 2009-11-18

Leading HVAC&R supplier Dunham-Bush International has partnered up with M&M Solutions and Solid to launch its CO2 refrigeration operations and solar-powered air conditioning in Manila. The move sets a milestone for natural refrigerants in the Philippines.

Dunham Bush, a global leader in technological solutions for refrigeration, heating and other industrial applications, will enter the Philippine market with CO2 (R744) refrigeration systems. This was announced by William Guido, International Sales and Services spokesman, at the Philippine Green Solutions Seminar and Expo of HVAC/R technology on 13 November. The R744 systems will be supplied by its partner M&M – one of two companies that have established a first alliance with Dunham-Bush. DBI will be the exclusive distributor working of the cooling solutions in the Philippine market.

The US group decided to take this step to exploit growing opportunities for environmentally-friendly solutions and attract prospective customers, Guido stated. CO2 was chosen to reduce the ammonia charge and for reducing operation costs. Dunham-Bush acknowledged CO2 as a superior alternative for reducing installation and maintenance costs. The move is seen as part of the firm’s global campaign to promote its line of eco friendly refrigeration systems for cold storage, blast freezing and food processing.

Philippines lucrative market for green energy solutions

Dunham – Bush’s move is spurred on by the upward trend by Philippine banks who are exhibiting an increasing willingness to invest in green energy solutions. "We believe the Philippine market will find great potential in our solutions” Guido Williams reiterated, adding that “[the] time is right for building and infrastructure owners and developers to consider long-term investments that will permanently reduce their operating expenses in power requirements”.

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CO2 Technology at the Olympic Games R744.com - 2008-08-12

Despite the missed opportunities for some Olympic sponsors to demonstrate clear environmental leadership by directly switching from HCFCs to natural refrigerants, several suppliers have issued a clear commitment to CO2 Technology in vending machines and refrigerators.

Coca-Cola, Haier and Sanyo are among the 2008 Beijing Olympics sponsors, technology partners and suppliers showing clear environmental leadership in the course towards complete phase out of the use of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) as refrigerant which, although non-ozone depleting, incorporates a high global warming potential (GWP).

Companies showcasing leadership

Coca-Cola

The Coca-Cola Company has lived up to its pledges to use natural refrigerants to power more than 5,600 coolers and vending machines in Olympic venues.

“[Coca-Cola has] determined that the best alternative to use is CO2”. “Our future shall be HFC free” reiterated Neville Isdell, Chairman and CEO of the Coca-Cola Company earlier this year, before restating the company’s commitment to purchasing and deploying 100,000 CO2 coolers by the end of 2010.

The Coca Cola Company was one of the three initiators of the “Refrigerants, Naturally!” initiative, launched in 2004, an industry alliance committed to developing commercially viable HFC-free refrigeration technology. It previously placed more than 2,000 CO2 beverage coolers at all 12 World Cup football venues in Germany in 2006 and over 1,000 CO2 beverage machines at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.

Haier

Haier, the world’s fourth largest white goods manufacturer, supplies all stadiums and gyms of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games with refrigerators using the natural refrigerant CO2. All refrigerators provided in stadiums and gyms by Haier, the official home appliances sponsor of the Beijing Olympics, use CO2 as a refrigerant, making this year’s Olympic Games the largest event ever to use environmentally friendly refrigerators. The 5,353 R744-based units will make up nearly half of the 13,236 installed CFC-free units available to athletes, journalists, and visitors.

The CO2 units are part of a complete line of green products covering 31 categories of Haier products that have been installed at over 30 venues in the Chinese capital and the co-host cities. In total, the Chinese manufacturer supplied more than 60,000 environmentally friendly and energy-efficient products, including HFC-free solar-based air-conditioners, washing machines and solar water heaters to the games.

In 2005, Haier signed the contract with the Olympic Games Organizing Committee to become the first official home appliances supplier in the history of the Olympic Games.

Sanyo

SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. (SANYO) recently developed in cooperation with the Coca-Cola Company a new generation, non- fluorocarbon type cassette unit that employs a natural refrigerant (CO2) compressor, and includes an efficient Energy Management System, for beverage coolers. The CO2 cassettes are used in Coca-Cola's drink coolers at all Olympic venues, helping the company to fulfill its promise made in September last year to install only cooling equipment that does not use HFCs. According to Sanyo’s calculations, during operation the cassettes will reduce energy use by 16% through a Rotary 2-stage compressor technology that is able to disperse the increased pressure while keeping the compressor at low levels of vibration and noise. Integrated into the Energy Management System owned by Coca-Cola, the cassette will further improve energy efficiency by up to 35%. On top of that the CO2 unit can easily replace HFC-134a units as it matches the size and interfaces of cassettes using fluorocarbon.

SANYO is committed to preventing global warming and tackling environmental issues by openly employing its propriety technologies in creative ways, based on its Brand Vision “Think GAIA”.

More pressure on sponsors needed for 2012 HFC-free London Olympics

Today we observe a situation where the same supplier supplies two distinct technologies of different environmental performance to different customers (Olympics sponsors). This was the case for Haier, who has provided Coca-Cola with HFC-free coolers, but has also provided a large fleet of commercial coolers using HFCs for other sponsors. How can we change this? By leveraging Corporate Social Responsibility and “green image” of sponsors, to ensure that all sponsors request environmental friendly technologies such as HFC-free cooling technology from their suppliers.

Corporate Social Responsibility and “green image” significantly leverage the choice of technology by sponsors. Environmental performance becomes even more of a pressing issue for sponsors as NGOs and other bodies such as the UN conduct reports and evaluations. Additional pressure coming from official Olympic Games organizers could also prove valuable. As Greenpeace recommended, the International Olympics Committee (IOC) should, as part of the sponsors bidding criteria, set mandatory standards that prohibit or limit sponsors from using substances that are toxic, polluting, or contribute to climate change and make sure they are enforced by host cities. The IOC should also require sponsors to disclose the environmental information of the products and services they provide for the Olympics for public scrutiny. Such combined pressure on sponsors stemming from the general public, NGOs and the IOC would eventually propagate upstream to sponsors’ suppliers and in the case of refrigeration hopefully result in 2012 HFC-free London Olympics.

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UPDATE: Woolworths pilots R744 refrigeration in South Africa R744.com - 2009-12-22

As the first South African retailer to reduce its carbon footprint, Woolworths has pioneered a CO2 supermarket refrigeration system with the intention to make it a standard in all stores. First measurements indicate clear energy savings. NEW: Read how the system developer pondered on what would be a suitable installation for South Africa.

One of the country's leading food retail groups is expanding the use of CO2 in commercial refrigeration. A new system recently installed at Woolworths Grey Owl store in Midrand, South Africa, will now serve as a blueprint for other stores to follow throughout the country. The step was hailed in South African trade media as a retailer’s first step to reduce its carbon footprint, and contribute its share to South Africa’s attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. South Africa is a signatory to both the Kyoto Protocol and the Montreal Protocol.

The highly complex CO2 installation took three years to be completed. Other retailers, including Marks & Spencer, congratulated Woolworths on the quality of both the design and the completed installation, highlighting also the knowledge transfer to South African engineers as a major achievement.

R744 system uses less energy

The system, besides eliminating the problem of ozone depletion, has shown highly promising results regarding energy consumption:

“Early indications are that our new refrigeration system also uses less energy. Very few refrigeration systems in the world can offer these benefits. Our customers expect us to be a responsible retailer and we work extremely hard to meet this expectation in every aspect of our business,” said Alex Kuzma, Engineering Manager for Woolworths. “This solution looks very good to us, and we are very happy with the results that we are seeing and I am very excited to get the second one off the ground. We are just trying to identify another site and we will look at putting number two in”, he added speaking on 702 talk radio the day before the Woolworths store opened.

The main challenges related to the CO2 direct expansion medium temperature system used was obtaining medium temperature compressors utilising low compression ratio compressors to make the installation viable. Floating condensing was also incorporated, which implies good electricity consumption saving, while the CO2 charge was significantly reduced.

The CO2 journey: from Australia to Germany, the UK and South Africa

The refrigeration engineers at Commercial Refrigeration Services (CRS) that developed the CO2 system started their journey in Australia, where they were invited to visit the country’s first CO2 transcritical refrigeration system. There, they acquired further knowledge through attending a conference on CO2 as well as visiting another 3 cascade CO2 installations.

After almost a year, CRS travelled to Chillventa in Germany to assess the availability of CO2 products. However, it was not until they visited the UK that they were impressed with how much CO2 technology had developed in the course of time. CRS visited the first test site of UK based retailer Marks & Spencer’s (M&S) that is now used as a training base for technicians. They further visited the first CO2 on-line store of M&S, as well as their store in White City, which are based on CO2 direct expansion low temperature, CO2 pump re-circulation for the medium temperature and 404A for the high temperature.

Upon their return to South Africa, CRS installed a small pilot plant at their Johannesburg factory that has been well documented and is operating extremely efficiently, while it allows their technicians to get familiarised with the use of CO2. Eventually, the company decided to use for the Woolworths store a CO2 direct expansion medium temperature system, as it had extensive experience of utilising electronic expansion valves and sophisticated pack controllers and close relationships with Danfoss and Bitzer.

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R744 helps 3rd supermarket in South Africa reduce its carbon footprint

R744.com - 2010-10-21

Building on the success story of CO2 refrigeration in two South African Pick ‘n Pay stores, the chain has decided to reduce its energy consumption by 25% and continue the roll-out of natural refrigerants-only systems in its Hurlingham store. The system features dual purpose ice thermal storage for refrigeration and air conditioning.

The success stories of Rand Park Ridge (Guateng) and The Strand (Western Cape) stores drove Pick 'n Pay along with their designers, Bentel Associates International (BAI), to launch another green alternative retail in Hurlingham. It will use CO2 and Ammonia ice thermal storage for cold room and cabinet refrigeration, as well as air conditioning that has a GWP (Global Warming Potential) of 1 and an ODP (Ozone Depleting Potential) of zero. This new store goes in line with Pick 'n Pay's values as an active company that promotes sustainable living

Bentel Associates International (BIA) has been implementing innovative architectural designs and store planning for Pick 'n Pay for over 39 years. Both BAI and Pick 'n Pay recognized that the higher costs of 'greening' a building are outweighed by the savings that come with energy efficiency. BAI has incorporated several green elements into the supermarket and overall complex design by utilising appropriate 'green' design elements, materials and systems that significantly reduce the store’s carbon footprint.

Pick 'n Pay's ‘green’ criteria for the new store are:

About 40% less energy than a comparable conventionally designed store due to the use of high performance refrigeration Use of renewable energy sources to help light, warm and cool the site 100 kilowatts of photovoltaic capacity that will generate between 8-20% of the store's power when in operation Rainwater harvesting system to be used as irrigation for the largely indigenous landscaping and back up for the air conditioning system.

Up to ! of Energy Costs Savings

The new CO2 system will use 25% less energy than the one it replaced, confirms Thomas Knopp, Pick 'n Pay supermarket manager. The only downside is the higher manufacturing cost perceived as an obstacle preventing green refrigeration from going to market. However, Knopp insists on the opportunity that a subcritical CO2 system affords for waste heat recovery, using waste heat from the refrigeration to heat the store premises or its water supply, for example. Not only does this reduce the supermarket's carbon footprint, it also reduces its energy consumption.

Despite the fact that supermarkets consume huge amounts of energy, still too many of these outlets rely on standard synthetic refrigerants such as CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) and HCFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) says Thomas Knopp, Pick 'n Pay supermarket manager.

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Makro South Africa chooses CO2 and Ammonia for its new stores R744.com - 2010-11-24

Citing the efficiencies of CO2 and ammonia based refrigeration, Doug Jones, Financial Director of Makro SA, announced the development of the Makro Polokwane, a 15,000sqm store slated for opening in the latter half of 2011, which will employ an advanced CO2 and ammonia refrigeration plant.

Makro Polokwane will be the 15th Makro store in South Africa and like its recent peers, will employ efficient refrigeration solutions, utilising a CO2 and ammonia refrigeration plant instead of ozone-depleting refrigerant gasses.

"While this increases our installation costs, it is an investment in the environment and the gasses used are 100% natural with zero ozone-depleting and global warming potential," says Mr. Jones. Regarding the choice of natural refrigerants, he added, “The chain purchased the most efficient refrigeration solutions possible.”

CO2 the refrigerant of choice for South African stores

In addition to the Makro Polokwane store, new Makro stores at Vaal (Vanderbijlpark) and Silver Lakes have utilized advanced refrigeration solutions.

Makro Vaal will use CO2 and ammonia in its refrigeration plant instead of ozone-depleting refrigerant gasses. This will not only consume just half of the energy required by traditional refrigeration processes, but will also use sophisticated technology to reclaim all heat generated by the refrigeration units to heat hot water geysers.

Refrigeration specialists Dave Spence and Mike Holt are working on Makro Vaal’s refrigeration plant. Holt says, “Makro has chosen CO2 and ammonia even though the total installation is 21% more expensive when compared to a traditional installation. The refrigeration gasses used are 100% natural and have a zero ozone-depleting (ODP) and global warming potential (GWP) rating.

“What’s more,” says Holt, “gasses like R134A have a coefficient of performance (COP) of 2.16. Makro Vaal’s CO2 and ammonia refrigerants have a COP of 2.48. This means we’ll get more energy out of these gasses.”

Refrigeration plant to also provide heat

Hot water for the store’s washrooms and the canteen kitchen is produced without the use of electricity. Heat from the refrigeration plant is reclaimed and used to heat water, saving the store another 15 kW of electricity.

The store’s trading floor will also be heated via hot water that is warmed by heat reclaimed from the refrigeration system. This will have an electricity savings of 385 kW.

For Makro Silver Lakes, by using Danfoss electronic expansion valves throughout the system they were able to achieve extra efficiency by incorporating a floating condensing control. Due to noise restrictions all the condensers are speed controlled and selected at a maximum of 660rpm and based on an ambient of 36 degrees.

The overall refrigeration efficiency has been increased by approximately 25% when compared with the normal refrigeration system using standard expansion valves.

Among the suppliers for the Makro Silver Lakes store were Danfoss (electronic control system) and Bitzer (compressors).

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Industry visits Australia's first CO2-only supermarket R744.com - 2008-02-22

A site visit to the country’s first transcritical refrigeration system has reassured industry experts about the efficiency of CO2 in hot climates. The event also revealed a keen interest from leading food retailers to use CO2 in new installations.

“It’s no exaggeration to describe the Angle Vale transcritical CO2 system as a revolutionary improvement in supermarket refrigeration in Australia,” Brent Hoare from the Natural Refrigerants Transition Board (NRTB) commented after the site visit to Australia’s first CO2-only system. Organized by the NRTB, more than 60 participants from all over Australia gathered on 20 February at the North Adelaide suburb of Angle Vale to take a closer look at the cutting-edge installation and discuss further steps. Close attention was paid to the operation of the system, and to distinguishing design aspects, such as the compact and streamlined characteristics of the plant, small pipework sizes, sophisticated controls and the yet simple design (see photo gallery).

The site visit, organized to show the viability of CO2 Technology during worst- case summer conditions, proved a success, as participants could check themselves how the systems is operating efficiently under Australia’s current temperatures of up to 40°C. This makes transcritical CO2 systems, thoroughly tested in cool climates in Europe, have therefore made a first decisive step towards a wide-spread use in hot climates. After two months operation, modelling of the Angle Vale system’s performance indicates that it will use less electricity than conventional R-404 direct expansion systems. To demonstrate the data, the NRTB will start data recording soon to report on the system's performance over the next two years.

CO2 sparks high interest from retail food industry

The NRTB site visit attracted a broad and senior level of industry representatives, as leading retail groups, such as Coles and Woolworths, who showed a keen interest in the new technology. Participants largely praised the independent Drakes supermarket for its courage to choose a CO2-only installation without any back-up system, seeing the installation as a major step towards a transformation of the refrigeration industry. Many were convinced that once cost issues have been addressed, local supplier networks installed, and the long-term efficiency determined there would be no looking back. The NRTB estimates that in one year’s time the replacement of old systems with the easy-to-install CO2 systems will become a much more compelling case for the industry.

Leading retail groups, including Australia’s largest food retailer Woolworths, had already announced to use CO2 cascade systems in new “green” supermarkets. (see attached article).

Australia moves towards sustainable refrigeration

At present, Australia’s government is considering ways to incorporate refrigerants in the country’s Emission Trading Scheme currently under development. If emission permits are required to import hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), this would raise the costs of conventional systems, favouring the use of CO2. In addition, policy makers have proposed an Eco-Labelling scheme for all large installations to make greenhouse gas emissions from commercial refrigeration equipment more visible. R744.com will be reporting on this issue as it evolves.

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Next Australian supermarket chain goes CO2 R744.com - 2008-08-14

Retail group Coles has installed a CO2 cascade system in its newest store to serve as a blueprint for future projects. The wave of Australian supermarkets using the natural refrigerant is set to become more powerful still, industry experts now predict.

Coles’ new Ropes Crossing store, to be opened in September, will eliminate up to 700 tonnes from the store’s annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the CO2-ammonia cascade system alone. As one of the first in Australia to use only natural refrigerants for food cooling, the Ropes Crossing store is the 5th “Environmental Concept Store” Coles uses as flagships for future environmental initiatives. The retailer has already announced that it will rely on cascade refrigeration systems in its roll-out of green stores.

The retail group thus follows the example of Australia’s largest supermarket chain Woolworths. Based on its positive experience with CO2 in its first green supermarket in Sydney last September, Woolworths decided for another cascade system in its latest store in Melbourne, opened this May. The retailer has committed itself to use this installation as a blueprint for new supermarkets to be all designed environmentally-friendly: “Don’t expect to see grass on the roof or wind turbines at this supermarket. The environmental innovations are more than just skin deep and tackle the main contributors to carbon emissions in store – air conditioning and refrigeration,” Michael Luscome, CEO of Woolworths, said on the occasion of the Melbourne store opening.

A new course for the industry

“The catalytic effect on industry has been profound”, Brent Hoare from the Green Cooling Council commented on Coles’ installation of the CO2 cascade system and the general industry trends towards sustainable refrigeration currently noticeable in Australia. The Green Cooling Council, having assisted Coles in completing the R744 installation, is now sure that the recent commitments by retail chains have led to a renewed focus by many refrigeration suppliers to constantly improve their systems to comply with retailers’ demands.

The need to train technicians on how to handle CO2 Technology poses an additional challenge to the industry. To drive the acceptance of natural refrigeration systems among servicing staff, the Ropes Crossing store will therefore serve as a much- needed training ground for a new wave of refrigeration technicians. Experience gained with the CO2/NH3 installation will be integrated in an industry training course soon to be offered by TAFE – Australia’s largest training provider.

Consumer pressure for ethical shopping

The importance of corporate sustainability in the retail sector has steadily increased following recent studies that have discovered consumers are more and more demanding retailers and manufacturers to invest in environmental projects. 61% of U.S. consumers deem it important that retailers have sustainability programmes in place, according to a Food Marketing Institute report. Another survey in the EU found that seven out of ten Europeans buy ethically at least some of the time, with 25% actively considering two ore more ethical factors when deciding for a supermarket.

Following this growing consumer demand, green stores using sustainable refrigeration, such as the Ropes Crossing, are therefore likely to become prevalent in the near future – not only in Australia.

About Coles

Coles is a full service supermarket operating over 740 stores throughout Australia and employing more than 92,000 people. Since 1985 the retailer has cut energy consumption from refrigeration by 30%.

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Next green store with CO2 opens in Australia R744.com - 2009-04-16

After Australia's first transcritical system showed the way in the Angle Vale Drakes Supermarket, a new Foodland IGA store has now opened in Adelaide, Australia. The store, acclaimed to be one of the nation’s greenest ones, features CO2 refrigeration as one of its environmental attributes.

The Fairview Park Foodland IGA store has been designed to be one of the greenest in Australia, as it includes a range of initiatives that aim to reduce its environmental impact. What is more, the store located in Adelaide's north-eastern suburbs, constitutes a rethink on the traditional supermarket in the sense that central to its design was customer convenience.

“We truly believe this supermarket will redefine Australian supermarkets in the future,” said General Manager Mike Rutherford.

The environmental features of the store include:

top of the range CO2 refrigeration enclosed refrigeration units for better temperature control and energy efficiency use of natural light low energy sensor and timer lighting use of sustainable materials cardboard takeaway cartons rather than plastic stormwater reuse plastic bag free checkouts

About Foodland IGA Australia

Foodland stores are local, independently operated, family owned supermarkets. The majority of the $750 million spent in Foodland stores every year stays in the local economy.

IGA (Independent Grocers Alliance) was founded in America in 1926 and represents an alliance between wholesalers, retailers and manufacturers. IGA was brought to Australia in 1988 when 10 stores initially became members of IGA.

IGA and Foodlands share

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Brazilian manufacturer launches R744 plug-in refrigerator R744.com - 2009-12-15

Shortly after Coca-Cola announced its commitment to R744 technology, a leading Brazilian manufacturer of plug-in commercial refrigeration equipment has announced the launch of an R744 cooler that reduces harmful emissions to the atmosphere by 97%.

The new 400-litre cooler by Metalfrio Solutions uses natural refrigerant CO2 (R744) and ensures optimal cooling performance with pulldown time (time required to cool a load of drinks) decreased by 45%. According to the company, the new product reduces direct emissions to the atmosphere by 97%.

The cooler has been tested for the past months in Brazil as well as abroad, with units for example having being installed in the U.S. Senate. The company now plans to deliver the first batch of R744 coolers to its customers in 2010.

About Metalfrio Solutions

Metalfrio Solutions is market leader in the plug-in commercial refrigeration equipment segment in Latin America and Brazil, where the brand is present in 90.5% of shops. With manufacturing plants in Brazil, Russia, Turkey and Mexico, as well as distribution centers in the U.S. and Denmark, the company’s production capacity exceeds one million units per year.

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JumpStart project for next-generation MAC technology in developing countries R744.com - 2010-03-09

The EU funded ‘HCFC Phaseout and Mobile Air Conditioning’ UNEP project aims at raising awareness in developing countries about sustainable HCFC-free technologies available, such as R744, and of means to facilitate their take-up in a range of applications, including mobile air conditioning.

The overall objective of the project is to contribute towards reducing emissions of ozone depleting substances (HCFCs) and greenhouse gases (HCFCs and HFCs) by encouraging best practices and energy efficient technologies that have zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) and low global warming potential (GWP).

Funded by the European Commission Thematic Programme for Environment and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources, including Energy (ENRTP) and being implemented under joint management with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the project consists of two main components that will run over 2010. The first component concerns the overall HCFC phase-out in developing countries while the second will focus on next generation Mobile Air Conditioning (MAC) technology in China and India.

Scale 1: HCFC phase-out

The first scale of the project is a “JumpStart" project to encourage developing countries to expedite their compliance with the HCFC phase-out obligations and to adopt environmentally friendly alternatives to HCFCs.

The specific objective of this component of the project is to build capacity for a smooth and efficient phase-out of HCFCs in developing countries to comply with the deadlines set by the Montreal Protocol. It will facilitate information sharing on HCFCs and their alternatives and encourage the adoption of non ozone depleting, low or zero GWP and energy efficient technologies and alternatives, such as R744. The project also aims at raising awareness in areas such as funding available to support transition from HCFCs, management of HCFC banks, and actions to combat illegal trade in these chemicals.

Scale 2: Reducing car emissions in China and India's MAC sector

The second scale of the project provides support for next generation MAC technology, with the aim of reducing emissions in China and India's mobile air conditioning (MAC) sector.

This part of the project will raise awareness on sustainable MAC technology focusing on new and near market MAC technologies that leads to lower direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions, and reduced local pollution. It will also cover the issue of responsible servicing practices of current technologies.

Project outputs

Expected outputs of the project include:

Targeted surveys on barriers to adoption of alternatives to HCFCs Case studies on HCFC replacement Creation of web fora for HCFC stakeholders Two HCFC-related workshops and two workshops on MAC

Through these actions, the project will indicate means to facilitate the take-up of technologies that do not deplete the ozone layer while at the same time have minimal contribution to global warming. This will enable developing countries to leapfrog high-GWP HFCs (currently popular alternatives for HCFCs) and move directly to sustainable refrigeration technologies, such as R744.

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R744 - up to 40% less emissions in hot climates R744.com - 2007-04-17

R744 Technology outperforms current Mobile Air Conditioning systems in terms of costs, energy efficiency, safety, and environmental performance, according to the latest study by the leading research institute SINTEF.

Realistic estimations and tests for Asian and European climates show that R744 Mobile Air Conditioning (MAC) not only leads to fuel savings of up to 28% in hot climates when compared to current HFC-134a cooling systems, but also offers additional future reduction potential due to its rapidly evolving system improvements.

These are only two main findings by Petter Neksa and Armin Hafner, senior scientists at SINTEF, who compiled test results from leading companies (Visteon, Behr, ixetic etc.) and own research data to prove the global use of R744 being the most efficient and long term viable option for the automotive industry.

Based on the Life Cycle Climate Performance (LCCP) with reference to the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) comparing MAC systems' total contribution to global warming in a "cradle to grave" approach, the study highlights several benefits of R744 MAC concerning environmental performance, costs and future potential.

Environment

Recent tests have shown that an average vehicle in Bombay, India, when equipped with an HFC-134a MAC, emits 10 metric tons of Green House Gases CO2 equivalents during its lifetime. A vehicle equipped with R744 MAC can reduce these total GHG emissions by 40%. The same tests in Shanghai, China, have pointed even to a GHG reduction of at least 50% (from 4.5 metric tons). These results come along with fuel savings of 28% and 25% respectively.

Tests in Europe confirmed the Asian results with fuel savings for a vehicle operating in Athens, Greece, ranging up to 26%, and in Frankfurt, Germany, up to 21%. Overall, a R744 MAC system would reduce the GHG emissions by 50% in Southern Europe and by 70% in Northern regions.

Armin Hafner, Research Scientist at SINTEF’s Energy Research division, summarizes: “R744 is an environmentally safe option worldwide. As an example, using R744 MAC in only 1 million cars in New Delhi, India, could already save 58,000 m3 of petrol and 300,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases (GHG) each year."

Costs & Comfort

One of the last hurdles for a global introduction of R744 MAC should no longer be a major concern, as the cost of completely new R744 systems can be easily recovered by fuel savings and superior performance. As an example, initial costs for implementing R744 MAC are estimated to be less than ! 30. This cost is offset by annual savings of 50 ! (58 liter of saved petrol; New Delhi conditions), SINTEF concludes. Moreover, the refrigerant cost is only about 50!cents per kilo and the servicing of R744 systems will be more cost-efficient since recovery of the low global warming refrigerant is unnecessary making sophisticated refrigerant handling equipment oblivious.

A future use of R744 systems operating both in heating and cooling mode will further reduce costs while at the same time providing additional comfort and safety for the driver.

Flexibility & Future potential Due to its potential to use the R744 cooling circuit in reverse also for heating the car, R744 MAC systems offer highest flexibility regarding future developments of heat pumping units. Additional systems improvements (i.e. ejectors or expanders) are expected, with most of the global component and MAC system manufacturers having already invested in the use of of CO2 Technology and being ready for serial production.

Background

SINTEF - the Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research at the Norwegian Institute of Technology - is the largest independent research organisation in Scandinavia. Its research team on natural refrigerants took part in the "rediscovery" of CO2 as a natural refrigerant in the late 80's. Nowadays, its work focuses on developing of CO2 technology for vehicle cooling systems, commercial refrigeration, and heat pumps.

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Visteon presents R744 system in China R744.com - 2006-12-07

The leading automotive supplier Visteon showcased its key innovations for the Chinese market in October. Among the core products: the new R744 Climate System.

At its Shanghai technology show, Visteon presented some of the latest technologies in electronics, climate control and interiors customized for the Chinese automobile market. A major highlight was the presentation of the newly launched R744 Climate System.

This innovative heating and air conditioning system replaces today’s refrigerant HFC-134a with the natural working fluid carbon dioxide (R744). Due to its outstandingly low global warming impact, the new system is in line with European regulations banning potent greenhouse gases in Mobile Air Conditioning from 2011 on. Visteon’s technology show, held from 9-20 October, attracted more than 600 visitors, including major carmakers like General Motors, Volkswagen, Ford, Nissan, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi or Suzuki. Technical seminars provided information on product specifications and latest developments.

Background Visteon is a leading global automotive supplier of climate control products for vehicle manufacturers. It has more than 170 facilities in 26 countries. Alvaro de Oña

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New Chinese CO2 heat pump standard R744.com - 2011-07-14

On 1 June 2011 a new Chinese CO2 heat pump standard was formally implemented. Standard GB/T26181-2010 is for hermetic motor-compressors for household and similar use heat pump water heaters using CO2 refrigerant, and is expected to accelerate the introduction of new products to the Chinese market.

The CO2 heat pump standard delineates requirements for compressor cooling capacity, the coefficient of performance (COP), and noise levels. Based on the characteristics and features of products in the Chinese market, the standard is more than a copy of the Japanese benchmark.

It is likely that with further market development more stringent standards will follow in the future.

Product performance requirements

The following performance criteria are included in the standard:

Cooling capacity – no less than 95% of nominal values Coefficient of performance - no less than 95% of nominal values Power input - should not exceed 110% of nominal value Operating current - should not exceed 110% of nominal value Testing methods Noise levels – should comply with state laws and regulations, standards Vibration levels Moisture content Packaging - compressor shell surface coating should be uniform Transport and storage

Standard development

The standard has been developed in anticipation of the launch of CO2 heat pump water heaters in 2012. Currently, no CO2 heat pump water heaters are sold in China, whilst the compressor for such heaters is still under development, but industry stakeholders believe the new standard will accelerate the launch of new products.

The drafting of the standard involved many companies, such as Xi’ian Qing’an, Shanghai Hitachi, Guangdong Meizhi, Guangdon Vanward, Daikin Xi’an, Shanghai Mitsubishi Electric & Shangling Air conditioner and Electric Appliance and Panasonic Wanbao Compressor from Guangzhou.

Background

2009 saw the foundation of the China Heat Pump Water Heater Union, by the Chinese Energy Conservation Association, International Copper Association of China, and ten major air-to water (ATW) heat pump water heater manufacturers. The association was founded in response to the rapid rise in heat pump water heater sales in China, with sales reaching 250,000 units in 2008.

Whilst fluorinated refrigerants remain the most common refrigerant used, companies like SinoCredo and Midea have recently begun to develop CO2 compressors and heat pump systems.

Lastly, whilst there are no national incentives for heat pump water heaters in China, the local government of Ningbo, a city on the Zhejiang Province introduced a 20% rebate for heat pump water heater projects.

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Eco Cute at the conquest of Hokkaido and China R744.com - 2010-12-23

The Japanese power companies’ campaigns to promote CO2 electric heat pump water heaters are taking off. Eco Cute gains ground in Japan’s most northern part Hokkaido and moves further into the Chinese market.

The initiatives to promote Eco Cute are manifold in Japan. Eco Cute have been included in the Japanese Top Runner Programme of technologies with the highest energy efficiency and their purchase has been subsidised since 2002, one year after their commercial launch. These subsidies will however stop next year, as the Japanese government is reviewing its expenses.

Indeed, looking at the sales figures Eco Cute seems well able to hold their own: from 2001 till October 2009 a total of 2.0 million units have been sold, with annual sales of 500,000 units in 2008 and the target for 2020 being 10 million units. Instead of further supporting a technology that is already so well established, the Japanese government wants now to rather invest in the development of next- generation heat pump systems and more advanced devices.

Power companies push Eco Cute

The subsidies might subside but the Japanese utilities keep pushing Eco Cute. From September to October 2010, for example, Hokkaido’s power company organised together with several heat pump manufacturers a campaign in Japan’s northern main island. They encountered great interest by the population and registered a 72% increase in official price enquiries compared to last year, demonstrating that Eco Cute is becoming a well accepted technology also in colder regions.

The T!hoku power company in the northern part of Japan’s main island Honsh" also reported in October 2010 that Eco Cute have passed the threshold of 150,000 units in its area. The merits of Eco Cute in energy efficiency and performance have clearly been broadly accepted and all major heat pump manufacturers in Japan also offer special models for colder climates.

In Chubu, the central region of the main island Honsh", the local power company aims to promote the shift to all-electric home appliances and in this vein offers consumers between September and December 2010 a bonus of ¥30,000 (~ #270) when switching from another heat pump model to Eco Cute.

Eco Cute for barber shops and beauty salons

Also, the areas for application of Eco Cute are constantly expanding. The Shikoku power company on the smallest of Japan’s four main islands, for example, has developed a small-scale commercial Eco Cute destined for deployment in barber shops, beauty salons or two family houses which have hot water needs exceeding the capacity of domestic heat pump water heaters, yet too small for a commercial model. These new small-scale commercial CO2 heat pump water heaters have been on sale since this summer and are available with either 740l or 920l capacity.

Other manufacturers put their efforts in designing Eco Cute with improved performance while at the same time making them more compact and less spacious. Itomic, for example, has developed a 75 kW commercial CO2 heat pump that delivers 2.5 times the performance of a regular 30 kW heat pump but only occupies 1.2 times its space. It is on sale since November this year.

Eco Cute advancing in the Chinese market

In China, domestic hot water supply and winter heating account for 30% - 60% of energy consumption in urban households. In an effort to reduce energy use and protect the environment, the trend goes to new technologies such as solar water heaters, heat pump water heaters, gas water heaters or electric water heaters and also Eco Cute. Universities and research centres work on CO2 trans-critical technology and thanks to their research results a number of Chinese companies were able to launch transcritical CO2 heat pump products.

Currently, there are three Chinese compressor manufacturers for CO2 trans-critical systems: Shanghai Hitachi, Xi'an Qing'an and Guangdong Meizhi. However, a real uptake of Eco Cute in the Chinese market is expected for 2011, when Chinese companies are ready to move into industrial-scale production of Eco Cute. Japanese companies such as Panasonic, Mitsubishi Electric and Daikin have also indicated that they would offer their Eco Cute models on the Chinese market. As production numbers increase, prices are expected to fall rapidly as they did in Japan, where the prices of Eco Cute in 2008 are only half of what they had been at market launch in 2001.

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Innovative Pakistan solar water heating project with CO2 as working fluid R744.com - 2011-07-05

A project to provide an alternate energy system in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, will see the development of an ecologically friendly hybrid solar water heating system that uses CO2 as the working fluid. The project is a joint collaboration between the Pakistan-US Science and Technology Programme (USAID) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan.

To reduce the use of firewood and electricity in providing heating and hot water in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, researchers are developing a solar collector technology that uses CO2 as the working fluid. The aim of the project is to demonstrate that solar energy can be used in conjunction with CO2 in a safe, efficient, cheap and environmentally benign system.

A joint technical project combining the work of professors at the University of North Dakota and COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), the project received $164,115 (!113,321) from USAID and $76,566 (!52, 870) from the Pakistan HEC.

Hybrid system specifications

The multimode hybrid solar water heater is designed to work in sub-zero temperatures. CO2 was selected as the working fluid as it has a low-freezing point compared to water. CO2 only forms dry ice at -78°C and when heated to its critical point of 31.1°C demonstrates dramatic thermo-physical changes in the presence of small thermal variations which can lead to strong convection flow. In addition to this CO2 it is low cost and non-toxic.

The hybrid system will combine a direct expansion heat pump with an evacuated solar collector, ensuring continuous operation and a reliable heat supply despite unstable solar irradiation during the winters.

The low temperature thermal requirement of the heat pump makes it a good match for the low temperature heat from the solar collectors. In the summer the convective flow of the supercritical collector fluid will be achieved via heating of the CO2 through solar radiation and cooling of the CO2 via heat transfer to a water tank.

The research project is due to be completed in November 2012.

Projects outcomes

Whilst the project has initially been developed for Gilgit-Baltistan, the technology will be transferrable to other areas where the ambient temperature falls below 0°C, and it is hoped that once the demonstration project is up and running a commercial project can be launched onto the market.

It is expected that the project will have the following benefits:

Identification of operational parameters to achieve high system performance Optimisation of collector design and heat pump operation Creation of employment opportunities Reduction of deforestation in the region as fewer people need to burn wood for water heating Avoidance of indirect CO2 emissions from electricity generation

Whilst it was recently reported that Pakistani manufacturers were unwilling to build the project prototype, due to the small scale and complex nature of the project, CCIT has now managed to secure a manufacturer for the tube-sheet-type collector at its own workshop.

Background

Gilgit-Baltistan is the northernmost political area in Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan, China and Kashmir. Home to the world’s highest mountain ranges, the climate in region ranges from very hot during the day, to very cold at night, when temperatures can drop to -20°C. Gilgit-Baltistan in considered one of the most solar-adverse places in Pakistan, and up until now, the wind-chill and freezing temperatures have precluded the use solar water heating systems.

The joint Pakistan-US Science and Technology Cooperation Program began in 2003 with the aim of establishing a framework for cooperation between the science and education communities of both countries. The “Hybrid Solar Water Heating System Using CO2 as Working Fluid” project was selected for funding under Phase 4 of the cooperation programme, announced in September 2010.

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Bitzer Brazil opens first CO2 training centre of the Americas R744.com - 2009-02-10

Bitzer Brazil has inaugurated the first CO2 Technology & Training Centre for North and South America. Installed in Bitzer’s plant in Sao Paulo, the centre will provide training covering safety, design, installation, commissioning, servicing and maintenance. Moreover, it will allow for hands-on energy efficiency comparisons between different systems.

Bitzer Brazil’s experienced engineers have developed a five-day training course concerning the use of CO2 as a refrigerant in commercial and industrial systems. Practical and theoretical classes will be provided at what is the first CO2 training centre in both North and South America based in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Bitzer Australia has also contributed to the development of the CO2 course by providing valuable learning material, refrigeration equipment and technical information.

The resulting course, provided in Portuguese, Spanish and English, and intended for students, technicians, engineers, designers and installers, includes five modules, namely:

CO2 Fundamentals

Systems Safety with CO2 Applications

CO2 Refrigeration Systems

CO2 Refrigeration Components

Commissioning, Servicing and Maintenance Procedures

Moreover, equipment installed at the training centre will allow energy efficiency comparisons to be carried out between a CO2 subcritical system (CO2/R404A) and direct expansion conventional systems using R404A and R22.

Equipment installed at the CO2 Training & Technology Center

The refrigeration racks: The three refrigeration racks with similar cooling capacities installed at the training centre use CO2 in the subcritical condition (CO2/R404A), R404A only and R22. All installations feature the most modern semi-hermetic compressors of Bitzer’s Octagon series in parallel application, used on medium and low evaporation temperature.

The cold rooms: Two out of the three cold rooms are operating at medium temperature (cooling and walk-in cooler) and one at low temperature. In each cold room the evaporators of the three respective racks (CO2, R404A and R22) are installed. In addition, two low temperature islands, linked only to the CO2 rack, are installed. In order to conduct energy efficiency comparisons, the equipment operates at just one rack at a time, which means that while one rack is operating the other two remain turned off.

The electronic controllers: All electronic controllers were donated by Italian manufacturer Carel. All conditions for the operation of the refrigeration equipment are controlled and monitored by the pCO electronic controllers that are fitted in each rack. Moreover, Carel’s PlantVisorPRO supervision system, which comes with a high level of precision and reliability, controls the entire refrigeration plant.

Transcritcal CO2 and CO2/R717 cascade racks to be installed at the centre

After the centre’s first design stage was completed end of 2008, two more refrigeration racks will be installed at a second phase, one using CO2 in the transcritical condition and the other using CO2 and ammonia (R717) in the subcritical condition. In addition, a water chiller with the natural hydrocarbon refrigerant propylene (R1270) will be used as the center’s air conditioner, also ensuring a constant temperature of the condensing water used in the racks with water-cooled condensers. Bitzer Brazil expects the installation of the additional equipment to commence at the end of 2009.

Print this page | Close window Philippines’ ten year grant project to replace inefficient chillers

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A 10 year grant project of the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) starting this year in the Philippines, will provide financial incentives to accelerate the replacement of some 375 inefficient chillers with non-CFC based models, such as hydrocarbon based ones. Early July 2011, the country's Environment Secretary outlined the benefits of the project and called on industries to shift to new energy-efficient chillers.

To accelerate the conversion to new technologies, chiller owners will be able to choose from two financial incentive options under the project when replacing their old inefficient chillers with new non-CFC-based energy efficient chillers:

Up-front subsidy of 15% of the cost of the new chiller on condition that the chiller owner must agree to relinquish future carbon finance revenues under the Some 375 inefficient chillers will be programme. replaced under the 'Philippines Chillers Energy Efficiency Project' Benefit from 75-80% of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) revenues that will be obtained from related articles selling carbon emission reductions (CERs)

under the project. The remaining 20-25% Hydrocarbons success story at Montreal of the CDM revenues must be surrendered Protocol Meeting in Thailand, 18 Nov 2010 and will be used to cover the cost of administration, financial management, reporting, marketing and other CDM Philippines CDM project to replace 375 inefficient chillers, 08 Jun 2010 related costs.

A chiller is defined as an industrial- and Philippines to make sure that car aircon are commercial-grade refrigerating system used in ozone-friendly, 16 Mar 2011 cooling applications for buildings, raw materials, chemicals, medical equipment and industrial equipment. US: soon an end to HFC134a in motor vehicles?, 31 Mar 2011 Eligible new chillers under the programme would need to encompass refrigerants with low or non- ozone depleting potential including natural refrigerants like hydrocarbons (propane and isobutene) and ammonia, water and air, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC123), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFC-134a).

Cutting energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions

It is hoped that the project will cut energy bills and greenhouse gases emitted in the atmosphere by as much as 560,000 tons in the next 10 years. “Given today’s technologies which are not only energy efficient but are also using non-CFC alternative refrigerants, we can assure the private sector that replacing their old chillers with new ones makes good business sense,” said Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje on 3 July 2011.

The different components of the US$47.9 million (!34.2m) project

The provision of financial incentives is the first of four components of the ‘Philippine Chillers Energy Efficiency Project’ (PCEEP), the other three being:

Measurement, monitoring and verification: The program is required to measure and monitor data related to the power-output function of the inefficient chiller to be replaced, the electrical consumption of the new chiller, as well as the cooling output. For this purpose, a database will have to be established that will keep track of all the data generated from the individual replacement activities and to be used to generate the reports that would support the Certified Emission Reduction (CER) claims under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

Performance standards and technical assistance aimed at enhancing the knowledge and building capacity of project participants, including chiller owners, government regulators, chiller manufacturers/ suppliers/contractors.

Project management.

Background

The Philippines ratified the Montreal Protocol in March 1991 and committed to gradually reduce and eventually eliminate the use of ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

According to Paje, “over the last 10 years, or starting in 1999, the Philippines has made great progress in phasing out the use of CFCs as refrigerants in the household and mobile air conditioning systems. Then in 2010, [the Phillipines] have totally banned the entry of CFCs, commonly known as Freon, into the country, in accordance with our commitment to the Montreal Protocol”. The DENR chief said, however, that the chiller subsector continues to rely heavily on CFCs, which besides being ozone- depleting require more energy to run them and thereby put unnecessary burden on the country’s energy supply.

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Over the past decade there has been a visible shift towards more sustainable refrigeration options in the Middle East. Hydrocarbon refrigeration is being considered more and more as a result of its energy efficiency and climate and ozone friendliness.

According to marketing manager Koma Middle East, Marc Doublichevitche, greater consideration is being given to environmentally sound refrigeration technologies across the Middle East. Martin Laws, marketing manager for Williams Refrigeration says there is a clearly visible move towards natural refrigerants, such as hydrocarbons.

Hydrocarbon refrigerants are seen as attractive Growing consideration of sustainable because of their efficiency and energy saving refrigeration options in the Middle East potential, whilst flammability concerns have been largely overcome with safety devices such as hermetic sealing of systems.

related articles The rapid economic development in countries like Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates Project to further the uptake of and continued population growth means there is hydrocarbons in India and beyond, 9 Jun an ever-increasing demand for refrigerators and 2011 high-capacity food processing and distribution centres. Natural refrigerants like hydrocarbons present a viable option to meet the region’s Low GWP technologies on display in growing needs. Maldives, 1 May 2011

Middle East attracts key hydrocarbon actors

UNEP seeks stakeholder input to chiller In recognition of the positive approach to workshop, 7 Jan 2011 sustainability in the region, Carrier has launched the Distinguished Sustainability Lecture Series at the Higher Colleges of Technology, in the United UPDATED: Guidelines for the safe use of Arab Emirates. Whilst the company believes hydrocarbon refrigerants, 17 Sep 2010 propane based air conditioning systems for the Middle East need further research, the important point is that sustainability has taken root.

Other companies that do already supply hydrocarbon compressors to the Middle East include Danfoss and Tecumesh.

Factors affecting refrigerator choice in the Middle East

In addition to refrigerant choice, other environmental considerations include energy efficiency and saving.

“The recent trend in refrigeration design is working with suppliers to develop more energy-efficient components, for example low energy fans and compressors,” says Mr Laws.

“No market is able to ignore energy saving concepts any longer,” confirmed Björn Dewes, area manager for MIWE.

Other factors include:

Looks: In the Middle East looks are an important consideration in refrigerator choice. Clients are looking for aesthetic cabinets to showcase items, such as wine for example. Price: According to Mohammad Zaatar of Nice Two Kitchens and Refrigeration LLC price is one of the essential elements taken into consideration when Middle Eastern consumers choose a product. Flexibility: For increasingly congested kitchens, Mr Laws of Williams refrigeration says “space saving is always seen as a priority”.

Background

Throughout the Middle East there are already examples of natural refrigeration. International food and beverage company Kraft has an ammonia-chilled production plant in Bahrain that supplies food retailers through out the Middle East. Del Monte has an indirect ammonia refrigeration system in Dubai, whilst Saudi Arabian food retailer Panda installed a state-of-the art distribution centre in Riyadh.

MIWE is a German provider of specialist, baking equipment, including ovens, bakery refrigeration systems and automatic equipment. A family company started in 1919, MIWE now supplies its equipment across the globe.

Williams Refrigeration Dubai was established in 2003 and supplies commercial refrigeration solutions manufactured in China and the UK, to the Middle Eastern market.

Koma is a refrigeration company that specializes in pastry and bakery item conservation. With over 70 years experience in preservation and conditioning technologies, Koma is a global company with installations worldwide.

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The latest issue of Cooling India, India’s premier magazine on the cooling industry, includes contributions on alternative refrigerants such as hydrocarbons, suited to India’s high ambient temperature conditions, as well as on lessons learnt and progress made with rolling out hydrocarbon cooling systems throughout the retail estate of Waitrose in the UK.

Alternative Refrigerants for High Ambient Temperature Conditions, N. Cox, Earthcare Products

Moving away from using HCFC R22 in line with its Montreal Protocol commitments, India has many reasons not to widely adopt HFC refrigerants with high Global Warming Potential, the most important being that there are many other more efficient refrigerants, even for India’s higher Series of Franscold R290 compressors for ambient temperatures. Waitrose chiller

“… by using hydrocarbon refrigerants, it is possible to attain higher critical temperatures to related articles those achieved by R22. The hydrocarbon R290, Project to further the uptake of for instance, has a critical temperature of 97°C hydrocarbons in India and beyond, 09 Jun and R432A (80.0% R1270/20.0% E170) has a 2011 critical temperature of 99.37°C whilst matching the capacity characteristics of R22 even at higher ambients”, writes Nicholas Cox. Coming soon: reciprocating and screw compressors from Frascold, 20 Apr 2011 In his article, Cox provides an introduction to several alternative refrigerants, including UPDATE: ATMOsphere 2010: hydrocarbons in hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon blends, that are the spotlight- Part 2, 06 Oct 2010 well suited to high ambient conditions:

Blends of hydrocarbons R290/R600a, for Hydrocarbon chillers up to $4 billion market example, have been used extensively as potential worldwide, 22 Oct 2010 an alternative to CFC R12 and HFC R134A and conversions of car air conditioners. The 52%/48% R290/R600a blend Hydrocarbon blends as HFC replacements, designated R436B by ASHRAE is well 05 Mar 2010 suited to high ambient applications.

Dimethyl ether (RE170, DME), which has R290 split systems and chillers for China, Interview with Nick Cox, Earthcare, 10 Nov been extensively adopted as the 2010 replacement for R12 and R134a in propellant applications, makes a better refrigerant than R290/R600a blends as it has no temperature glide and does not separate during leakage. R510A, a RE170/R600a (88.0/12.0) blend has been shown to have superior performance in some R134a replacement applications such as water coolers, and has been proposed for MAC applications.

The greatest success of hydrocarbons has been the use of R600a (isobutane) in domestic refrigerators, while the author assesses that R600 (butane) should prove a commercially attractive refrigerant for chiller manufacturers.

The author concludes that for high ambient applications, the optimum replacement for HCFC R22 is R432A, and for HFC134a it is R510A. However, further research is required to identify the optimum replacement for the HCFC R123, which is well suited to high ambient temperature applications due to its very high critical temperature of 183.7 °C. Used in conventional vapour compression systems, HCFC R123 (NBP 27.0 °C) could simply be replaced with isopentane (NBP 27.7 °C). In centrifugal compressor applications, however, the molecular mass is more important in determining capacity and lower molecular mass can only partially be compensated for with higher vapour pressure.

Frascold’s Propane Compressors at the heart of Waitrose Hydrocarbon Cooling system

UK food retailer Waitrose makes use of integral refrigerated cases on the retail floor, running on the hydrocarbon propene (R1270), using chilled water/glycol as the condensing medium. This is supplied by roof-top-mounted Geoclima chillers based on Frascold compressors running on R290 (propane).

The Geoclima chillers use a combination of Liquid Pressure Amplification (LPA) technology with a floating head pressure, high efficiency aluminium coils and traditional glycol-based free cooling to significantly increase operating efficiency. The roof-top-mounted chillers provide a supply of chilled water or glycol mixture at between 10°C and 18°C, with a typical return temperature 6°C higher, ensuring optimum performance and efficiency of both integral cases and chiller. Typically, at ambient temperature below 16°C, compressors are switched off and the chillers run in free-cooling mode, providing significant energy savings.

The Frascold compressors at the heart of the propane chiller were selected by UK specialist Klima-Therm following evaluation trials with machines from a number of manufacturers. Some winning features included the resilience of the compressor to liquid return and the availability of a variable speed option that further improves efficiency and compressor control. As a result, Frascold’s semi-hermetics are now the default choice for use in Geoclima’s Waitrose chillers.

The compressor manufacturer has also modified the position of the pressure transducer, which is now mounted on the body of the compressor itself rather than positioned remotely, reducing pipe work and connections and further improving safety and reducing the potential for leaks. Waitrose reports zero leakage in the trial supermarket set up monitoring the performance of the system.

Overall, the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants improves the energy efficiency of individual systems by between 10 and 20%, with further gains of around 10% delivered as a result of heat recovery and store-wide integration. When added to the 100% containment of refrigerant, the CO2 emissions reduction in stores to date is running at around 32%.

The retailer will be installing the new refrigeration solution in all new stores and major refurbishments of existing stores, while it is also now being introduced to the new smaller format Waitrose convenience stores. The aim is to convert all Waitrose UK stores by 2020, with about 55 hydrocarbon-based systems due this year.

About Cooling India

Launched in 2005, Cooling India is India’s premier magazine on the cooling industry dedicated to air conditioning, refrigeration and building automation with a large reach across India and overseas. It is published by Chary Publications, one of the oldest publishing houses in India dedicated to the energy sector and now diversified into publishing magazines on HVACR, lighting and medical equipment. For more information about subscriptions contact [email protected] .

Contact Information

If you would like to contact Earthcare Products for any enquiries, you may send a request to Nicholas Cox directly.

If you would like to contact Frascold for any enquiries, you may send a request to Luciana Beretta directly.

2011-02-16 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

The Natural Refrigerants Special Technical Group of the Australian institute for Refrigeration Air- conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) has published a case study on three Aldi supermarkets in Australia that are minimising greenhouse gas emissions by using R290 hydrocarbon chest freezers in their retail frozen food departments.

Located in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland respectively, the three supermarkets feature between 22 to 24 chest freezers units, that each houses a self-contained R290 hermetic compressor by Danfoss with variable speed drive.

Besides the units that are optimised for freezer duty, the stores also incorporate two dual- temperature units that can run on either chiller or freezer duty. The 3 Aldi Australia stores with R290 are located in Victoria, New South Wales and Technical information Queensland.

The case study lists the following technical information: related articles

Refrigerant: R290 hydrocarbon Hydrocarbon Technology put at the forefront Approximate refrigerant charge: 110g of the RAC Cooling Industry Awards, 01 Oct 2010 per unit Compressor: Danfoss hermetic variable

speed EIA: Which UK retailers score high in green Condenser: No-fin tube type with EC fan refrigeration , 01 Feb 2010 de-super heater Design temperature: -18°C to -23°C standard or 0°C to +20°C for dual more on this topic temperature Net contents per unit: 881 litres Download the AIRAH case study: East coast Nominal power consumption: 450W chill factor per unit Refrigeration plant capacity: 0.5kW per unit or approx 11kW per store

Savings of about 17 tonnes of GHG emissions per year

The case study compares the R290 chest freezers solution to a R404a two-stage system as well as a

CO2/R134a cascade, to find that by using the R290, greenhouse gas emissions savings of approximately 17 tonnes per year can be realised. Indirect emissions: The energy efficiency of the R290 system has been found to be equivalent to that of a two-stage R404a system, particularly for locations in Australia’s southern states, where the extra heat emission in the store air conditioning is more than offset by the reduced heating requirements in winter. The R290 system uses slightly more energy than CO2/R134a cascade system, with the latter therefore encompassing slightly lower indirect emissions than R290 that are however offset by higher direct emissions due to refrigerant leakage.

Direct emissions: When refrigerant leakage and refrigerant recovery losses (refrigerant that is not recovered at the end of the equipment life) are taken into account, R290 is assessed to save approximately 17 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year compared to a R404a two- stage system when a 5% annual leakage rate is assumed for the latter. Assuming a 3% annual leakage rate for R404a case, greenhouse gas emissions savings are still in the order of 12 tonnes per year.

2010-05-05 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

In a presentation given at a UN regional meeting in Istanbul last week, PepsiCo explained its 3 strategic initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its cooling equipment, including the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants. Since 2009, Turkey has been the first country using hydrocarbons for all new Pepsi coolers put on the market.

The United Nations Regional Ozone Networks for South Asia and for Europe & Central Asia met jointly in Istanbul, Turkey to promote inter- regional cooperation between South-Asian, Central Asian, Caucasus and Balkan countries.

The meeting allowed Ozone Officers from more than 30 countries to exchange their experience in phasing-out the use of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) such as CFCs and HCFCs related articles widely used in refrigeration equipment.

Hydrocarbon coolers debuted at US most Mr. Soykan Dirik, the Marketing Equipment popular sports event - 04/02/10 Manager from the European Division of Pepsico Turkey delivered the company’s vision about how to achieve energy savings in bottle coolers by PepsiCo uses hydrocarbons in 5,000 vending using the environmentally friendly refrigerant machines - 31/03/09 R600a.

PepsiCo Turkey first switching to hydrocarbons for all new coolers

Since 2009, PepsiCo Turkey has been the first country using hydrocarbons for all new coolers put on the market. The transition was possible after PepsiCo briefed its suppliers that the company strategically supports hydrocarbons. The change was all the more desired due to the company’s concerns about its coolers electricity costs that needed to be reduced.

In Turkey, local suppliers were able to develop the appropriate equipment to meet the market needs. This, combined with the Pepsi in-house technical infrastructure to support hydrocarbons made the project a success. PepsiCo completed the project by adding an energy saving controller to reduce energy consumption by a further 20%.

To date, Pepsi is particularly satisfied with the following features of the hydrocarbon coolers:

R600a operates at lower pressure than HFCs and take less charge. Due to the refrigerant charge reduction Pepsi reports a total of 292 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions reduction per year.

The hydrocarbon compressor is smaller and more efficient The coefficient of performance for R600a is higher than the most commonly-used f-gas R134a. Pepsi reports up to 30% of energy savings in this context.

Pepsi’s 3 Strategic Initiatives

PepsiCo has committed to prioritise environmental sustainability as a prerequisite for its cooling equipment, encompassing 3 strategic initiatives:

1. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) free foam: Pepsi has eliminated chemical substances HFCs as a foaming agent from all its factories worldwide. 2. Reduction of energy consumption: energy efficiency is achieved by using refrigeration equipment models, which are compliant with high energy standards. Pepsi also chooses its strategic suppliers of equipment on the basis of the latest environmentally-friendly technology that they are using. 3. Using refrigerants with low climate impact: PepsiCo is also widely implementing the use of alternative refrigerants to reduce the warming impact from chemical refrigerants leaking out of the equipment. PepsiCo started its field trials with hydrocarbons in 2006 and the experience is now expanding to its global operations.

Reducing the environmental impact of PepsiCo coolers is paramount because the carbon footprint of all Pepsi coolers and vending machines is 3 times bigger than all the Pepsi plants combined.

2009-07-24 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

In its Cool Technology paper, Greenpeace outlines the myriad successes of HFC-free alternatives in various sectors of industrial heating and cooling appliances. With over 400 million hydrocarbon fridges sold in the world, hydrocarbon domestic air-conditioning and commercial refrigeration appliances are also proving to be a potential success story.

The paper, regularly updated offers a wide variety of environmentally superior and technologically proven HCFC and HFC-free alternatives, including hydrocarbons. From Earthcare Products to Carrier, Husky, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Bosch, Johnson Controls, the paper offers user-friendly data that pinpoints the technology used and resulting energy savings.

It is now widely recognised that hydrocarbons are more on this topic an optimal replacement for HCFC-22 installations. Below is a short selection of the many Greenpeace Cool Technologies applications that currently run on hydrocarbons across all five continents.

Greenfreeze from India to the US

Developed in 1982 by Greenpeace, Greenfreeze refrigerators are now being produced in Mexico, Russia, Sweden, New Zealand, the USA (by 2010) Germany, Cuba, China, Argentina, South Korea, Japan, Demark, India and Italy and account for 35% - 40% of the global fleet production (100 million domestic refrigerators and freezers a year). Typically the products use cyclopentane for the foam and isobutane for the refrigerant. The charge of 30 to 60 grams varies according to the size of the refrigerators, which come in all sizes. The technology now dominates the market in Europe, Japan and China.

In March 2009, Bosch marked the first entry of Greenfreeze technology in Northern America by marketing Greenfreeze refrigerators in Mexico. This North American market penetration will be further widened as in October 2008, General Electric announced that it had formally requested the approval of the US Environmental Protection Agency, under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program, to produce hydrocarbon domestic refrigerators for the US market as of 2010.

Hydrocarbon domestic air-conditioning

Italian manufacturer De'Longhi has been selling its propane cooled portable air conditioners (Pinguino ECO) on the European market since 1985. Companies such as UK Elstar Company and Australian Benson Air Conditioning have also been producing a variety of hydrocarbon based split-air conditioners for both home and office use. According to the Australian manufacturer, the hydrocarbon units perform with 15-20% better energy efficiency than the company’s comparable previous R22 range.

In 2009, Chinese Gree Electric Appliances developed and successfully tested a highly efficient hydrocarbon air-conditioner, with COP of 3.6, energy efficiency 15% better than corresponding HCFC-22 unit, and total hydrocarbon charge less than 300 grams.

High efficiency in commercial refrigeration

With 275,000 hydrocarbon ice-cream coolers on the market, Unilever’s coolers have a 9% energy saving compared to their HFC counterparts while using approximately 100 grams of hydrocarbons.

PepsiCo is currently testing new vending machines using natural refrigerants, hydrocarbons as well as CO2. By 2009 PepsiCo had deployed 5,831 testing units, the majority of which use hydrocarbons. The units are deployed primarily in Europe, China and Japan.

Waitrose Supermarket has announced the development of a propane based refrigeration technology, which is expected to reduce the company’s carbon footprint by 20% to be introduced in 2010. The company states that this technology is a “breakthrough for the supermarket industry”.

Johnson Controls is producing a line of medium sized air-cooled hydrocarbon chillers with frequency- controlled screw compressor and V-coil condenser. The capacity range is from 80 kW to 560 kW.

Dutch Ecozone and Australian Energy Resources Group have many years experience working in developing countries, and both have conducted numerous conversions from HCFC-22 to hydrocarbons in a wide variety of settings with different size chillers that demonstrate that as long as routine safety standards are maintained, and work is performed by trained technicians, hydrocarbons are cost effective and efficient substitutes for HCFC-22.

2010-10-28 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

China's refrigerator production increases steadily, accounting already for one third of global production. Advancements have been achieved over the last years mainly in enhancing energy efficiency and substituting high GWP refrigerants with R600a.

According to the China Household Electrical Appliances Association, China accounts currently for one third of the global refrigerator production. The Chinese refrigerator manufacturers are now intensifying efforts in low carbon, environmentally friendly production and carbon emissions reductions throughout their value chain, from the sourcing of resources to the shipping out of goods.

related articles The US and Japan are market leaders in low carbon technologies, but in the period 1999-2005 Chinese industry widely uses R600a & Chinese manufacturers have increased the energy researches on R290, 2 July 2009 efficiency of their refrigerators by over 28% and are approaching global top technology levels. ATMOsphere Report 2010 on Natural In the first half of 2010, Chinese refrigerator Refrigerants available for free download production has increased by 28% as compared to 2009 to reach 29 million units. Exports have increased by 26% to reach 9.3 million units.

The majority of Chinese refrigerator manufacturers has introduced low carbon production technologies. Furthermore, ozone depleting and high GWP (global warming potential) refrigerants have largely been replaced with environmentally friendly hydrocarbon refrigerant R600a.

In 2009, the China Household Electrical Appliances Association had stated that over 90% of domestic refrigerators in China meanwhile run on hydrocarbons and that the price of R600a is steadily declining.

2009-10-29 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

Under what is the first project in the Southern African region to demonstrate the viability of hydrocarbon technology, a local manufacturer of refrigeration equipment is converting its entire production line from fluorinated to hydrocarbon refrigerants. In addition to resulting in energy savings, the project will cut direct emissions by up to 29,000 tonnes CO2e per year.

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH in association with the National Ozone Unit of Swaziland and local manufacturer of refrigeration equipment Palfridge is currently implementing a pilot project that provides technical assistance and financial support that will enable Palfridge to convert its manufacturing lines in Swaziland from the use of unsustainable fluorinated refrigerant gases to hydrocarbon refrigerants. This is the first more on this topic demonstration of hydrocarbon technology in the Southern African region showcasing a viable and Download the project fact sheet sustainable alternative to replace fluorinated refrigerants and is expected to encourage other companies in the region to follow suit.

It is estimated that the conversion to hydrocarbons will cut direct emissions by up to 29,000 tonnes

CO2 equivalent per year. Additional climate benefits as well as energy savings will accrue from the improved energy efficiency of the appliances.

Details of the project

Funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the !1,400,000 project sets out to convert the entire production of domestic and commercial refrigeration appliances of the manufacturer Palfridge in Swaziland to hydrocarbon refrigerants.

It addresses issues concerning the safe use of flammable refrigerants through providing:

State-of-the-art safety devices

Intensive training and appropriate education of the entire Palfridge staff, including engineers, technicians, workers)

Assistance with the safe design of the new models

Support for the development of appropriate information and training materials for marketing the equipment at the point-of-sale and for service technicians which would be servicing the equipment in later years

2009-08-24 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

Nigeria announced the construction of Africa’s first Ozone Technology Village that will serve as a technology development and training center. Locally fabricated ozone friendly machines, including a hydrocarbon refrigerant production machine, have been developed as part of the project. A closer cooperation between the country’s Ozone and Climate Change Units was further announced.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Safiya Muhammad, the Nigerian Federal Minister of Environment John Odey announced at the opening of the ODS (Ozone Depleting Substances) Officers Network (ODSONET) Joint meeting, held in Abuja, Nigeria that its Government was building Africa’s first Ozone Technology Village in the Nigerian State of Ogun. Representatives of 39 African countries gathered in Abuja to discuss the imminent deadline of 1 January 2010, when consumption of CFCs and halons will no longer be possible.

Hydrocarbon refrigerant production machine

According to Odey, the Ozone village will serve as a technology development and training center, while as part of the project, a set of locally manufactured ozone friendly machines has already been developed, including a box of foaming machines, CFC recovery and recycling machine and hydrocarbon refrigerant production machine. “HCFCs have a high potential of global warming. Unlike for the CFCs where the phase out plans were only meant to address the ozone depleting potential, we now want to also consider the value added to the mitigation of the climate change. In phase out the HCFC we will also be counting how much global warming potential we will help reduce” says Rajendra Shende, Head of Paris-based UNEP OzonAction Branch.

This initiative will be presented to the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol in order to consider the hydrocarbon production machine as a pilot demonstration project under the HCFC programme.

Nigeria’s Ozone and Climate Change Units to work closely

Odey further announced that the Nigeria’s National Ozone Unit and Climate Change Unit would work together to enable the country to derive the dual benefit of protecting the ozone layer and reducing the impact of climate change. Hence, in a symbolic move, they joined hands to stamp the “Seal the Deal’’ petition, as part of the UN global campaign that calls for a fair, balanced and effective climate agreement in Copenhagen in December this year. “Nigeria has been an active participant in the crusade against ODS and we would pursue close cooperation between climate and ozone office. This would be our important resolve during this meeting. While setting our sails to sealing the hole, we have historic opportunity to seal the deal at Copenhagen.”

2009-03-13 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

At the launch of the ozone layer campaign in Mauritius, the small island which is particularly vulnerable to climate change, the government signaled its support for the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants in domestic refrigeration appliances by handing over two sets of hydrocarbon equipment to local tertiary education institutes.

The Minister of Environment and National Development of Mauritius, Lormus Bundhoo, launched this week the ozone layer campaign for students at a state secondary school, where he further announced that a wider National Environment Literacy Programme (NELP) was at the preparation stage. Mauritius is particularly concerned with environmental issues and as such it is a member of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), a coalition of small island and low-lying coastal countries that share similar development challenges and concerns about the environment, especially their vulnerability to the adverse effects of global climate change.

At the event, Minister Bundhoo recalled that the objective of the Ozone layer sensitisation campaign is to foster new values, attitudes and ethical awareness in young children as regards the protection of the environment so that they are able to rethink and change patterns of action.

Support for hydrocarbons

Driven by these concerns, the Ministry of Environment and National Development Unit is promoting the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants in domestic refrigerators, as they are both ozone and climate friendly. To this end, it handed over two sets of hydrocarbon equipments to two local entities offering tertiary education, namely the Industrial and Vocational Training Board and the Superior Technology Institute (Institut Supérieur de Technologie).

About the institutes

The Industrial and Vocational Training Board (IVTB) was set up in 1988 to promote vocational education and training with the purposes of supplying a properly trained workforce for the industrial, services and domestic sectors. As from 1998 the IVTB has also started running selected tertiary level programmes.

The Institut Supérieur de Technologie (IST) is a Polytechnic managed by the Technical School Management Trust Fund (TSMTF) and provides tertiary level education.

2011-05-19 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

On the 8-9 May 2011, the Maldives hosted an Industry Roundtable Meeting on Zero and Low Global Warming (GWP) HCFC alternatives, where companies discussed challenges and recent advances in the market for HCFC alternatives. Presentations were made on natural refrigerant use in industrial refrigeration, on servicing and safety of R290 air conditioning, and on a hydrocarbon pilot project in Africa.

The Industry Roundtable was organized as a platform for business representatives to exchange information on climate friendly alternatives to Ozone Depleting Compounds (ODS), and showcase the latest hydrocarbon technology in air conditioning and refrigeration.

Mayekawa donates compressor unit to Maldives government

Mayekawa, a Japanese company that specialises Mayekawa compressor donated to in freezing technology, donated a compressor Maldives government unit to the government of the Maldives during the Industry Roundtable. The compressor will be installed in a new government green building. related articles

Jan Boone, Executive Director of Mayekawa, said Hydrocarbon technologies showcased at of the donation, “Mayekawa decided to donate a UNEP conference, Maldives May 2011, Part compressor unit of approximately 150 KW… to 1, 18 May 2011 support the Maldives in their carbon neutral ambition - one of the first [such ambitions] in the world.” Transitioning from HCFCs to low GWP

refrigerants: how to overcome the barriers, During the Mayekawa presentation Mr Boone 17 May 2011 underlined the company’s aim to demonstrate operational equipment using each of the “Natural Five” refrigerants: ammonia (NH3), carbon Low GWP technologies on display in dioxide (CO2), hydrocarbons (HC), water (H20), Maldives, 16 May 2011 and air.

According to Mr Boone, Mayekawa natural UNEP invites HC experts to Iran and Serbia refrigerant applications achieve the following events, 6 Apr 2011 reductions in CO2 emissions when compared to conventional systems: Mayekawa adds new hydrocarbon screw 30% for NH3 compressor series, 14 APR 2011 62% for CO2 14% for HC’s

64% for H20 54% for air The Mayekawa presentation was delivered during the session “Opportunities of Climate and Energy Efficiency co-benefits of HCFC phase-out in Industrial Refrigeration. Mr Boone's presentation was entitled “Sustainable Industrial Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems”.

R-290 Air-Conditioning proved safe

GIZ, one of the organizers of the Ozone2Climate Road Show Industry Roundtable and a strong proponent of green cooling technology, gave a presentation on the “Servicing and Safety of R290 Air Conditioning”. According to the presentation the safety of R290 (propane) air conditioning units has been largely proven, and units are now widely available with the GS, CE and VDE certifications.

What is needed is to train personnel in best practices for servicing such HC appliances. In particular personnel need to be given appropriate tools and testing equipment, and receive training in the significant differences in thermodynamic properties of HC’s in comparison to CFC’s, HCFC’s and HFC’s.

GIZ suggest that countries develop legislation relating to the issuing of training certificates for HC refrigerant engineers, and that these refrigerants only be handled by certified companies and personnel.

Hydrocarbon pilot project in Africa

GIZ has created the Proklima project to assist countries to implement and disseminate sustainable ozone and climate friendly technology in the fields of refrigeration, foam blowing equipment, firefighting equipment, and agriculture. The project cooperates with around 40 countries in Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America.

A pilot project on converting blowing agents in manufacturing to hydrocarbon gases was launched In Swaziland in conjunction with UNEP, the UNDP and the Environmental Authority of Swaziland.

To address the many challenges associated with this conversion, Proklima has encouraged team building exercises and informal workshops to motivate local staff, and instructed local trainers in the safe use of HC refrigerants, and identified the need to develop an eye-catching and innovative marketing strategy to overcome the 15% cost premium associated with the use of HC refrigerants.

Background

The previous Industry Roundtable was held alongside the Twenty-Second Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in November 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand.

2011-03-18 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

An MLF funded project in China for the conversion of a compressor production line to R290 has successfully passed a first technical evaluation. The project aims to enhance the global availability of R290 compressors, considered as one of the main barriers to the large scale manufacturing of hydrocarbon air conditioners.

Officials from the National Environmental Protection Department in China and technical experts reviewed the project progress in November 2010, reports the February 2011 issue of JARN (Japan Air Conditioning, Heating & refrigeration News). The project passed the phase 1 review, which included inspection of the production line equipment at Guangdong Meizhi Co and the assessment of technical and financial data. In 2008, total production of room air conditioners in China exceeded 75 miilion Converting a 1.8m annual capacity units compressor production line to R290

The demonstration project for conversion of a related articles compressor production line with an annual Multilateral Fund supports low-GWP capacity of 1,830,000 units at Guangdong Meizhi technologies in developing countries , 26 Apr Co to R290 (propane) refrigerant was approved 2010 at the 61st meeting (July 2010) of the Executive Committee to the Multilateral Fund (MLF) for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol.

The compressor production line is set to undergo significant modification and optimisation, due to the change of working pressure and temperature and additional explosion-proof requirements. The structure of the compressor will undergo a re-design to minimise the vapour volume containing R290. In addition, new equipment will be introduced for lubricant handling, safety control and enhanced ventilation and performance testing with R290.

Besides the redesign and testing, the project also encompasses the training of personnel.

Towards a breakthrough in the availability of hydrocarbon technology

In parallel to the compressor production line conversion at Guangdong Meizhi a second project titled “Demonstration sub-project for conversion from HCFC-22 to propane at Midea Room Air-Conditioner Manufacture Company” is set to convert a production line of 200,000 split room air conditioning units to R290. According to the description of the projects, it is expected that these “will represent a major breakthrough in the availability of hydrocarbon refrigeration technology and lead to a broader application of propane in the refrigeration sector.”

Project completion is scheduled for the end of 2012.

2010-11-18 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

APL Asia is determined to introduce hydrocarbons in Thailand by converting and servicing industrial air conditioning systems from HCFC 22 to hydrocarbons. The company gave a presentation at the Montreal Protocol Meeting in Thailand this week, where hydrocarbons21.com was present.

Hydrocarbons in industrial air conditioning systems gain momentum thanks to users in Thailand who benefit from energy savings thanks to an operator who converts industrial air conditioning systems from R22 and R12 to hydrocarbon 22a and 12a.

Started in 2005, APL Asia had difficulties gaining customers at its kick-off: back then, electricity prices were low and the hydrocarbon technology Anthony Whyte's presentation at the was poorly understood. Three years ago, growth Montreal Protocol Meeting in Thailand started simultaneously in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines where the company operates. While at the beginning the company’s related articles growth was due to the energy gains that users Exclusive interview with Gree at United could achieve, APL Asia now states that Nations meeting in Bangkok, 15 Nov 2010 conversions are taking place because customers are also motivated by protecting the environment. Hydrocarbons do not deplete the ATMOsphere Report 2010 on Natural ozone layer and have a negligible effect on global Refrigerants available for free download, 11 warming. Oct 2010

The service provider initially had difficulties Hydrocarbons growing fast in Asian markets, penetrating the market: end-users feared the 9 April 2010 hydrocarbon flammability in case of accident and equipment manufacturers were fearing that hydrocarbons would damage their products and their brand in case of a technical failure.

Confidence-building in hydrocarbons technology

APL Asia kept its confidence in the product, though. As part of its services to its customers, the business undertakes a thorough analysis of the customer’s needs and potential elements that could threat the safe system operation. “As the use of hydrocarbons becomes more popular, we have to learn to use them correctly, and safely. As the number of contractors installing hydrocarbons increases we have to educate and train on correct and safe use.” Mr. Anthony Whyte, Managing Director of APL Asia stated.

Confidence in hydrocarbon technology has led the operator to offer payment of his services based on the energy efficiency gains that the user makes as soon as the system starts running - a “shared savings contract” as he calls it. On average, companies that retrofit industrial air conditioning systems from HCFC 22 to hydrocarbons gain up to 20% in energy efficiency.

Hints for improvement

APL Asia uses the UK hydrocarbon safety standards as a guideline for the servicing and maintenance of the hydrocarbon air conditioners it installs. Under the impulse of the Montreal Protocol, the operator suggests a harmonisation of safety standards that apply to hydrocarbons in order to facilitate the market penetration: servicing personnel will become more and more familiar with a single set of standards and hence the product will be used more safely. The Asian company also puts a label on all devices it retrofits to warn about the presence of a flammable refrigerant and gives instructions on how to safely repair and what to do in case of an accident.

While the operator finds that the development of the Chinese Gree hydrocarbon domestic air conditioner is very promising for the future, he insisted that industry needs proper guidance about what to do with the servicing of existing systems: how to retrofit, which technologies to use and how to undertake recovery or reclamation of the chemical refrigerant that the system contains.

Anthony Whyte stressed the growth potential for hydrocarbons in Asian countries: air conditioners in Thailand work all day long, all year long : the cooling needs in this country can be adequately met thanks to hydrocarbon technology. To date, the company has replaced over 30 tonnes of R22 with hydrocarbon refrigerant in Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, and the trend is going upwards.

2010-11-15 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

Parties to the ozone Treaty discuss this week in Thailand amendments to the Montreal Protocol. Discussions focus on alternatives to HCFCs in order to guide developing countries on how to comply with the forthcoming global ban on ozone depleting substances (ODS). hydrocarbons21.com interviewed the Chinese manufacturer Gree about its plans to market hydrocarbon air conditioners in the world markets.

From 8-12 November, 195 countries meet in Bangkok, Thailand to discuss further action under the Montreal Protocol so that they all achieve a successful transition from ODS to energy efficient alternatives with low or zero global warming potential in order to maximize the climate benefits that the ozone treaty can bring about.146 developing countries will be drafting national HCFC phase-out management plans for the next two years, where they need to include Stephanie Zheng, spokesperson (Oversea alternatives with strong energy credentials, zero Sales Deparment) of Gree ozone depleting potential and the lowest global warming potential possible. related articles The Chinese manufacturer Gree in cooperation R290 split systems and chillers for China, with GTZ Proklima and funded by the German Interview with Nick Cox, Earthcare, 10 Nov Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation 2010 and Nuclear Safety within the framework of the International Climate Initiative has deployed a demonstration project for hydrocarbon air Hydrocarbon chillers up to $4 billion market conditioning that it presented at the 22nd potential worldwide, 22 Oct 2010 Meeting of the Parties in Bangkok. The Gree contribution was essential for national A call for China to switch directly to natural delegations to understand this state-of-the-art refrigerants, 31 Aug 2009 technology and the extent to which it can help many countries meeting their objectives to ban HCFCs. Hydrocarbons success story at Montreal Protocol Meeting in Thailand, 18 Nov 2010 hydrocarbons21.com interviewed the spokesperson (Oversea Sales Deparment) of Gree present at the event. hydrocarbons21.com: For those readers who are not familiar with the Gree-GTZ Proklima project, how could you describe it in a few words?

Stephanie Zheng: The development of the Gree hydrocarbon air conditioning is a demonstration project for the conversion of a production line for residential air-conditioners (split units) from HCFC-22 to HC-290. GTZ-Proklima provided technical assistance to make this happen. hydrocarbons21.com: What are the main features of this product?

Stephanie Zheng: If I had to summarize this new product in four points, the Gree R290 uses hydrocarbon technology with zero effect on the ozone layer and a negligible effect on global warming. In addition, the Gree 290 achieves a lower refrigerant charge and greater energy efficiency in comparison with an R22 air conditioner and other available HFC alternatives in the market. Last but not least, in order to satisfy high safety standards, a special leak detection alarm system has been put in place, allowing the user to handle a leakage in an efficient and simple way. hydrocarbons21.com: What makes this project so special?

Stephanie Zheng: The Gree hydrocarbon split air conditioner is the first R290 production line which will be approved by TÜV SÜD in the world. We believe it to be the most suitable technology to reduce by almost 99% the direct global warming emissions from all the air conditioning systems worldwide. hydrocarbons21.com: The mere fact of using hydrocarbons in an air conditioning system is it enough to achieve less indirect carbon emissions?

Stephanie Zheng: Gree has developed a special compressor for the R290 air conditioner. This compressor has reached a coefficient of performance of up to 3.4 which is higher than that of other companies’ R290 compressors. In comparison with an R22 system, the Gree 290 achieves 10-15% less energy consumption. hydrocarbons21.com : Have you cleared all the hydrocarbon safety tests successfully?

Stephanie Zheng: The Gree product fulfills all the safety standards that are in place. We have passed all tests that have granted the product VDE and GS certification. When families buy toys for their children, they also bear GS certification, which is deemed to be satisfactory for the child’s safety. Why shouldn’t the same apply for the Gree 290 air conditioner? We are expecting the TUV certification to be announced soon, too. hydrocarbons21.com : So, what could go wrong with the Gree 290?

Stephanie Zheng: Nothing could go wrong, that is why Gree is doing it! All standards that are in place have been met and we are confident about our product. If the air-conditioner is installed and operated and serviced according to the manufacturers’ instructions and complies with the safety standards in place, there is no risk associated to this particular product (compared to any other air-conditioner in the field)Let me remind your readers how wrong we were when back in the ‘90s we did not trust the Greenfreeze technology for hydrocarbon fridges. It has proven to be a major technological success alongside with an environmental one.

And one also needs to remember that safety guides on hydrocarbon technology have been put in place by GTZ Proklima and TÜV SÜD to provide users with state-of-the-art advice on how to handle flammable refrigerants. hydrocarbons21.com : Can your product live up to the market expectations?

Stephanie Zheng: Definitely. We will enter in the production phase of units with 9000 BTU and 12000 BTU. We are also currently testing the possibility to minimize the hydrocarbon refrigerant charge for larger units with 18000 BTU. Finally, in order to meet all types of demand, Gree will launch the production of hydrocarbon dehumidifiers and portable air conditioners in March 2011. hydrocarbons21.com : What are your marketing plans?

Stephanie Zheng: The production of the Gree R290 will be completed by the end of 2010 and will be marketed from 2011 onwards. We expect to sell 100.000 units annually. hydrocarbons21.com : Looking back at the development of the project, what were the biggest challenges to overcome?

Stephanie Zheng: Restrictive hydrocarbon safety regulations have been an issue. In China, the government has opened up to dialogue with stakeholders on this topic and this has made the development of the project possible. We really hope that other countries will follow this path. Of course, developing countries that need to ban HCFC systems can rely on hydrocarbon air conditioning systems to meet their objectives in the most efficient way.

2010-11-10 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

Earthcare Products Limited recently completed a project for delivering R290 wall and cassette split systems as well as air-cooled water chillers to a Chinese R&D centre. hydrocarbons21.com talked to Managing Director Nicholas Cox about the project, the new inverter technology used and general refrigeration trends in China. hydrocarbons21.com: You have recently returned from China, where you have successfully delivered several HVAC units using R290. What type of units were these and what were they intended for?

Cox: We supplied the following units:

2 x 3.5Kw Wall split systems 8 x 3.5Kw Cassette split systems Nicholas Cox, Managing Director of 3 x 5.5Kw Cassette split systems Earthcare in China 3 x 12.5Kw air cooled water chillers 2 x 38Kw air cooled water chillers related articles They are currently being installed in a high tech R&D centre for a global PLC company. They were ATMOsphere 2010: hydrocarbons in the assembled in China using R290 compatible spotlight- Part 3, 7 Oct 2010 components sourced by Earthcare. hydrocarbons21.com: Will the hydrocarbon Hydrocarbon blends as HFC replacements, 5 units cater for the total heating and cooling Mar 2010 needs of the facility? If not, are there further deliveries foreseen in the near future for the facility? more on this topic

Cox: This represents the total air conditioning More about Earthcare and process cooling requirements for the current project but we foresee repeat business opportunities as the facility expands and develops. hydrocarbons21.com: The R290 chillers you delivered make use of inverter technology, a new development for chillers using hydrocarbons. What are the expected benefits of this technology in terms of energy efficiency, system cost and payback period for the R290 chillers?

Cox: R290 Mini Chillers using Inverter technology allow us to compete head to head with HFC VRF systems but we have the huge benefit that our energy savings remain constant whereas the efficiency of VRF systems decline with refrigerant leakage. If we were able to achieve the same economies of scale then we could provide R290 Mini Chillers, fan coils and plastic water pipe for the same price as VRF systems and associated refrigeration pipework. hydrocarbons21.com: What other technical novelties do the systems encompass? Did you consider the use of microchannel heat exchangers for example or is this something for your future plans?

Cox: We were able to achieve low refrigerant charges without microchannel heat exchangers. Our split systems used only 440 to 600 grams of refrigerant and our chillers 1.2 KGs per circuit. However we do plan to adopt microchannel technology for our larger chillers. hydrocarbons21.com: Have there been any major difficulties you have encountered so far in the context of this project?

Cox: As ever the problems involved product certification, low volume production and extended delivery dates. Chinese CCC certification is similar to our CE marking. Importing into China caused some issues, particularly for the flammable refrigerant. hydrocarbons21.com: Were there any aspects that were handled more smoothly in China when compared to similar projects carried out for example in Europe? What lessons can be learnt from your experience in China?

Cox: The whole process was remarkably similar to when we first introduced the technology in the UK 15 years ago. It’s a case of identifying the smaller entrepreneurial players rather than the mass producers. hydrocarbons21.com: On this project, you are working together with a certified local installer in China. Was it a difficult task to identify an installer equipped with the necessary know- how and tools for carrying out a project with hydrocarbon and therefore flammable refrigerants?

Cox: The installer was nominated by the client and was very keen to work with us as they see a huge growth potential providing a similar service to the growing international PLC community which is still expanding in China despite the recession in other global regions. hydrocarbons21.com: Was Earthcare involved in the training of the installer?

Cox: Yes, the installer already had all of the necessary basic skills so it was simply a case of carefully explaining the additional safety requirements. Although there was something of a language barrier at the technician level, all the professional engineers seem to have very good technical English. hydrocarbons21.com: This project is a perfect example confirming the timely opportunity to leapfrog climate burdening HFC refrigerants in developing countries and the availability of cutting-edge non-fluorocarbon technologies to replace them.

Cox: Yes, and this could lead to “genuine” carbon trading opportunities rather than “scam” ones created by increasing ozone deleting chemical manufacture. We are actively looking for a project that could displace at least 30,000 kg of R22 or R410A. This could generate about £1/3m in carbon credits. However, we do not yet understand the actual practical, physical steps that we need to take - particularly the administrative ones - to get a carbon credit project underway in China. I am currently investigating this in greater detail. hydrocarbons21.com: Does China in particular have to come a long way to get there in so far as hydrocarbon technology is involved? Have you seen progress in the last years and what further needs to be done to accelerate the process of diffusing natural refrigerants in the country?

Cox: China is currently 15 years behind in commercial (i.e. non domestic) hydrocarbon technology, but it won’t take them 15 years to catch up! The Chinese market offers considerable scope for the export of consultancy services to refrigeration and air conditioning manufacturers seeking to cut their production costs, improve the energy efficiency of their products, and add value to their products by incorporating environmentally friendly features. hydrocarbons21.com: How does the project fit to overall commitments to phase down chemicals that harm the ozone layer or cause global warming?

Cox: Outside of the EU, Earthcare has worked in Korea, Panama, and now China. There is no excuse for any global company to say that they still need ozone depleting or global warming refrigerants – on the contrary, we can now demonstrate a very clear correlation between the total environmental warming impact (as a result of refrigerant and energy used), and the ‘cost to the business’ it represents (expressed as a Net Present Value of its capital and running costs). The better equipment is for the environment, the better it is for the purchaser’s long term profits. hydrocarbons21.com: Are there any more deliveries of hydrocarbon units by Earthcare in the pipeline for other facilities worldwide?

Cox: We have recently been specified for a very exciting new build project including 4 x 800kW water cooled plant room R290 chillers with COPs in excess of 5! Further details will be released in due course.

Contact Information

If you would like to contact Earthcare Products for any enquiries, you may send a request to Nicholas Cox directly.

2010-08-23 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

In the search for measures to reduce electricity consumption associated with the air conditioning units in the University of West Indies, Jamaica, several units have been converted to hydrocarbon refrigerant, realising enhancement in efficiency of 15% to 20%. Hotels in the region have also been advised to switch to the natural refrigerant.

Several air conditioning units, including window, mini-split and central air-conditioning units at the Mona Campus of the University of West Indies in Jamaica have been converted from HCFC22 to propane (Duracool 22a).

Savings from conversion at the University of West Indies

Econergy Engineering Services in cooperation related articles with Rexham Engineering assessed that by converting a total of 646 units totaling about Hoteliers in the Caribbean advised to switch 1,413 tons of cooling capacity located in different to hydrocarbons faculties and administration buildings to propane, savings of 350,039kWh annually would be realised. This is equivalent to total annual Greenpeace 2010: Natural Refrigerants are savings of 8,272,117 Jamaican dollars (about perfectly apt to replace HFCs 96,000 USD).

In addition, the hydrocarbon units require less more on this topic maintenance and repair. These two factors combined results in very significant cost benefits Read the presentation: Hydrocarbon to the university. Refrigerants the Jamaican Experience

Other hydrocarbon conversion examples in Jamaica

Other conversions include the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica converting a 140 ton chiller, the distribution company Lascelles DeMercado converting all 40 of their mini split and central units and the University of Technology Refrigeration Lab converting all their demonstration models to hydrocarbons.

Energy savings in Jamaican hotels

Results from a energy audits conducted by energy efficiency experts on hotels in Jamaica have revealed that hotels can realise 25-30% of energy savings by putting in place measures such as retrofitting their air conditioners with hydrocarbon refrigerant. The audits were conducted in cooperation with the Bahamas Hotel Association (BHA) as part of a regional project supported by the Inter-American Development Bank's Greenpyme program. With air conditioning accounting for about 64% of energy used by small hotels hoteliers may expect energy savings in terms of a payback period from 0.5 to 1.0 year for retrofits with hydrocarbons, and an average of 2.0 years for new hydrocarbon equipment.

2010-04-02 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

Results from a first round of energy audits conducted by energy efficiency experts on hotels in the Bahamas and Jamaica reveal that hotels can realise 25-30% of energy savings by putting in place measures such as retrofitting their air conditioners with hydrocarbon refrigerant.

The audits were conducted in cooperation with the Bahamas Hotel Association (BHA) as part of a regional project supported by the Inter-American Development Bank's Greenpyme program. The program is funded by the IDB Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) and headed by Carlos Serrano who was recently in the Bahamas for a workshop with participating hoteliers.

Payback period of up to 1 year for HC related articles retrofits and 2 years for new HC equipment

Read also: Tips and Rules for Handling In the workshop, the presenters listed typical Hydrocarbons safely energy conservation measures and outlined specific steps which could be undertaken to realise a 'payback' period for putting the Read also: Belize prepares for HFC phase- improvements in place. With air conditioning out accounting for about 64% of energy used by small hotels, one of the recommendations concerned this type of equipment. More specifically, the energy specialists recommend retrofitting air conditioners as well as refrigeration equipment with hydrocarbon refrigerant. For the case of new equipment the experts also recommend installing new systems manufactured to use hydrocarbon refrigerants. By doing so while making sure that all safety concerns are addressed, including employing technicians qualified to work with hydrocarbons, hoteliers may expect energy savings in terms of a payback period from 0.5 to 1.0 year for retrofits, and an average of 2.0 years for new equipment.

According to the experts, additional benefits from the use of hydrocarbons include:

Less maintenance Extended equipment life Environmentally friendly refrigerant, with no ozone depletion and negligible global warming potential

Other typical energy conservation measures for which payback periods were estimated included:

Inefficient lights replacement: Payback period from 0.3 to 2 years, with an average of 1.1 year Install power factor correction units: Payback period from 0.8 to 2.5 years, with an average of 1.5 year Install timer on swimming pool pump motor: Payback period from 0.5 to 1.5 year, with an average of 0.8 year. Install water to refrigerant heat exchanger on cooling systems: Payback period from 0.8 to 2 years, with an average of 1.2 year Install diesel generators heat exchangers to heat water (cogeneration): Payback period from 0.8 to 3 years, with an average of 2.5 year Install solar water heaters: Payback period from 1.5 to 5.5 years, with an average of 4 years Install high energy efficiency ratio (EER) cooling systems: Payback period from

Looking ahead: more audit results expected

"BHA is awaiting the results of 18 additional hotel audits throughout the country which were conducted last year and this January and February as part of a program BHA has supported which is being undertaken by the Government of the Bahamas in cooperation with the IDB. It is believed that the results will mirror those of the ones just completed and will provide additional information on how energy is used and efficiencies can be realised by hotels in different size and location categories" said BHA Executive Vice President Frank Comito.

2008-07-30 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

Technology using hydrocarbons is a highly interesting but also still poorly understood option to replace HCFCs in developing countries, reactions at an international Montreal Protocol meeting in Bangkok showed. A comprehensive report now updates on projects and organizations promoting natural refrigerants at this key event.

“Until recently, the voice of the fluorocarbon industry has been heard much more loudly and forcefully within the Montreal process than the voice of those calling for genuinely sustainable solutions. As a result, many of the parties and participants are simply unaware of the potential of natural refrigerants, and the tangible results being achieved on the ground,” Brent Hoare from the Green Cooling Council outlined reactions among participants of the 28th Working Group meeting of Montreal Protocol Parties held in Bangkok on 7-11 July.

The quote, taken from a summary report about major side events and presentations in Bangkok focusing on natural refrigerants, thus insists that still more communication is needed to convince decision makers in developing countries of the substantial benefits that using hydrocarbons (HC) and other natural refrigerants in next-generation refrigeration will hold for them. Like the Green Cooling Council, a record number of non-governmental organizations, including Greenpeace and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), gathered in Bangkok to also warn participants that switching from ozone-depleting substances to high global warming HFCs could counteract already achieved progress in climate protection. Presenting real-life examples of energy-efficient HC installations was therefore the best way to avoid a prolonged use of fluorocarbons justified by its proponents on the basis of higher energy efficiency claims.

Hydrocarbons: up to 20% energy savings

To prove that HC-based air conditioning and refrigeration is already working successfully in stationary and mobile applications, the Green Cooling Council presented facts about latest developments in Australia. Hydrocarbons are gaining momentum as an ideal solution for small domestic and commercial split system air conditioning, where up to 20% of electricity can be saved. The market for HCs is beginning to grow with new actors joining the market. However, the Green Cooling Council urged all major suppliers to reinforce their efforts and follow early adopters addressing rapidly rising greenhouse gas emissions.

Over 18 million car users use hydrocarbon refrigerant in their air conditioning system. At the end of 2002, the number of motor vehicles using hydrocarbon refrigerant had reached 5 million across the USA and Australia. Other mobile applications could include trucks and buses, transport refrigeration, off-road farming equipment and mining equipment. Montreal process: Priority given to minimum-impact alternatives

The NGO’s call for truly sustainable cooling options was supported by a major paper* acknowledging the significant contribution of the Montreal Protocol – originally meant to phase out ozone-depleting substances (ODS) – to a worldwide reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The publication was followed by Montreal Decision XIX/6 which encouraged all countries “…to promote the selection of alternatives to HCFCs that minimize environmental impacts, in particular impacts on climate”. As a consequence, the Multi Lateral Fund (MLF) – the body funding particular projects to phase out ODS - must now give priority to projects and programmes focusing on “…alternatives that minimise other impacts on the environment including on the climate, taking into account global warming potential, energy use and other relevant factors”. These developments have put back the spotlight on projects involving natural refrigerants.

**Guus J. M. Velders, et. al., The importance of the Montreal Protocol in protecting climate, 104 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 4814 (2007). http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0610328104v1

2010-12-09 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

After 4 years of safe use, the Australian car manufacturer of the OKA brand has gone public to announce that its series of special purpose on/off road vehicles is the first in the world to use HyChill hydrocarbon refrigerants in the air conditioning system. The move is expected to trigger a more objective reassessment of refrigerant choices for vehicle air conditioning.

HyChill is the first hydrocarbon refrigerant brand in the world to be used by a vehicle OEM in the production of vehicles. The Australian manufacturer of the OKA brand has been developing hydrocarbon-based systems for all their new vehicles for four years already. However, HyChill and OKA decided to only go public about this until they had years of safe use under their belt in an OEM context already, “as this limits the options opponents of hydrocarbons First OEM chooses hydrocarbons in its off- have in their likely attempts to discredit or road vehicle production line downplay this achievement.”

A breakthrough for hydrocarbon refrigerants related articles in the automotive air conditioning Mobile Air Conditioning: Hydrocarbons vs. HFC1234yf, 22 Dec 2009 “This announcement is a huge breakthrough for hydrocarbon refrigerants in the automotive air conditioning sector,” says John Clark, a Director of HyChill Australia. The announcement by more on this topic HyChill and OKA “demonstrates that awareness More about HyChill on our partners section and acknowledgement of the real-world evidence that hydrocarbons are both safe and superior in vehicle air conditioning is approaching ‘critical mass’.”

Increased performance, thorough testing

“Compared to fluorinated gas alternatives, the vastly increased chilling performance of HyChill Minus 30EC refrigerant has many advantages for a commercial vehicle manufacturer…using HyChill Minus 30 EC, we can gain performance points without having to increase evaporator or compressor size”, says Andy Granger, Reymer Pty Ltd’s Head of Marketing and Business Development, the manufacturer of OKA trucks and buses.

In addition to the use of hydrocarbons in the “OKA” brand of four wheel drive vehicles, the entire line of European-built AVIA trucks, distributed by Reymer Pty Ltd, will shortly go on sale and will also be equipped with HyChill hydrocarbon refrigerants. Triggering a more objective reassessment of refrigerant choices for vehicles

The 4 years of experience with hydrocarbon vehicle air conditioning in vehicle production line adds to 20 years of experience with the safe use of hydrocarbons in the automotive service market and is hoped to initiate a more objective reassessment of refrigerant choices for vehicle air conditioning.

The suitability of hydrocarbons in OEM car air conditioning has been overlooked. However, this announcement is expected to trigger “a fresh approach from vehicle manufacturers and policy makers”, with the most innovative manufacturers adopting hydrocarbon refrigerants that can deliver more efficient and more environmentally sustainable air conditioning systems.

A parallel to Greenpeace’s ‘Greenfreeze’ revolution

“Peer-reviewed published research has already verified 20 years of safe use of hydrocarbons in the automotive service market. This announcement by the OKA Australia is a welcome and necessary progression that makes these facts even harder to ignore,” says Clark.

“I would not be at all surprised if this development marked the beginning of the overthrow of this formerly monopolised market, in a similar way that Greenpeace’s ‘Greenfreeze’ revolution did many years ago”, he adds, referring to Greenpeace going into business selling ‘Greenfreeze’ hydrocarbon- based fridges in the 90’s, before hydrocarbons were widely adopted as the industry standard in household refrigerators.

Contact Information

If you would like to contact HyChill for any enquiries, you may send a request to Ross Bradshaw directly.

2009-03-12 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

The HFC-free vaccine cooler and refrigerator is climate friendly, battery free, reliable, and affordable to bridge health and development gaps in remote areas with no electricity. It could help more than 2.5 billion people to store urgently needed vaccines and food. However, delays in certification and lacking financial commitment have blocked its trail of success.

Every year, vaccines worth millions of dollars deteriorate due to inadequate cooling technologies applied in remote areas with no access to electricity. The use of kerosene, gas and lead batteries for medicine and food cooling has brought about constant problems as the cooling chain is interrupted at random due to a break down of batteries or a lack of supply of gas and kerosene, as well as a conflict with maintaining the required temperatures for SolarChill - future-proof vaccine and food vaccine cooling. Moreover, they often catch on cooling fire while also contributing to global warming.

SolarChill, a vaccine cooler using isobutane more on this topic (R600a) as a refrigerant, and cyclopentane as the SolarChill leaflet blown insulation foam, could change the way vaccine and food cooling in areas with inadequate electrical supply can be done in a reliable, safe SolarChill brochure and cost-efficient way. The technology has been successfully tested over an 18 month period, in Senegal, Indonesia and Cuba. At an ambient Cooling with Solar Power - Danfoss brochure BD35K compressor temperature of 32°C, the prototype maintained the required temperatures of 2-8°C under normal use, as well as a hold over temperature of 10 to 15°C for more than six days without any solar energy.

Under normal conditions powered by a 2 x 80W photo-voltaic panel, and capable of storing energy in ice-packs through the use of a direct current compressor, SolarChill is outperforming any solar-vaccine cooling technology on the market today, while also being safer, cleaner and more reliable.

Progress slowed down

However, to use the units – where one could serve a population of 50,000 people for preserving vaccines - they first have to comply with a set of performance standards defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Submitted for approval some years ago, and although the certification remains only a formality, the WHO has not issued any certification within the last two years, preventing official “UN-related” bodies, such as UNICEF, from buying and using SolarChill. As a result, project initiator Greenpeace has to buy units for demonstration projects in Africa at higher market prices from Vestfrost, the Danish manufacturer and project partner supplying the units.

Once accredited by the WHO, SolarChill can be made freely available to the world and will be publicly owned. At an expected commercialisation price between $1,500 and $2,000 (including solar panels), SolarChill would be 50 to 60% cheaper than currently available solar refrigerators meeting the WHO specifications.

Next steps: SolarChill Type B & Joint global efforts

Building on the reliable performance of the SolarChill vaccine cooler, the concept has been extended to also cover small domestic and commercial refrigerators. Type B is an upright model featuring the same characteristics as the basic model for health care purposes, without requiring an official certification by the WHO. It promises even more potential for billions of households with no access to electricity. Being operational with both AC / DC, it provides absolute flexibility to use wind, hydropower, bio-gas or grid energy.

Greenpeace and all other project partners have now agreed to gather again for a joint meeting in April to discuss further financing and development of SolarChill type B together with representatives from UNEP. Wolfgang Lohbeck, initiator of “Greenfreeze”, the HFC-free hydrocarbon domestic refrigerator that served as an inspiration for SolarChill, confirmed to hydrocarbons21.com that the project is sparking high interest in African countries. End of February, a SolarChill unit was handed over to Kenya’s Minister of Health, Prof. Peter Anyang Nyong’o, who suggested to use it in Massai Land near Nairobi.

Background: SolarChill history & partners

When, in 1999, the World Health Organisation (WHO) wanted to prescribe HFCs as the technical standard to be used for all future vaccine coolers, the environmental group Greenpeace joined forces with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to initiate the SolarChill project and demonstrate that HFC-free technology could work reliably and efficiently also under difficult climatic conditions and in remote areas without any access to electricity. The seven project partners currently active include Greenpeace, the Danish Technological Institute, GTZ Proklima, WHO, UNICEF, and the Program for Appropriate Technology in Healthcare (PATH). Vestfrost developed and produced the chest freezer prototypes, while Danish manufacturer Danfoss contributed the direct current hydrocarbon compressors.

2009-11-09 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

The hydrocarbon based SolarChill refrigeration system is currently being further developed to become suitable for use in temperatures over 45°C. The project funded by the German government will allow for hygienic food and cold drinks storage in shops and at home as well as contribute to improved health services, while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

A project aiming to contributing to improved health services of rural populations and offering capacities for hygienic food and cold drinks storage in shops and at home is currently being implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH in association with the National Ozone Unit of Swaziland and local manufacturer of refrigeration equipment Palfridge.

related articles The project’s main purpose is to complete the technical development of the existing prototypes Read previous article: SolarChill - in order to make SolarChill, the refrigeration hydrocarbons for a world without electricity system that operates on and stores solar energy directly in the form of ice using hydrocarbons refrigerant, suitable for use in temperatures over Read previous article: Southern African 45°C, a common condition in the hot seasons of company converts entire production line to many tropical and subtropical countries. HCs Compared to currently used technology, every operational SolarChill unit avoids direct refrigerant emissions of about 0.2 tonnes CO2 more on this topic per unit during lifetime usage and indirect Read the project fact sheet emissions of 0.5 tonnes CO2e per unit annually.

Rationale for the project

Initially developed to provide medical stations in rural areas away from the electricity grid with reliable cold storage to keep vaccines fresh, SolarChill was further developed in a next step: an upright refrigerator model that could be used for general refrigeration needs in rural health stations or even for commercial or private purposes was designed.

However, results from field testing found the prototype to perform well at temperatures of up to 30°C, while further development would be needed to make it perform well at temperatures over 45°C, which can be commonly encountered in tropical and subtropical countries.

With funding for further enhancing the prototype having ran out, the GTZ project has come at the right time to fill the gap and enable the concept materialise. Prototype development

In order to make SolarChill suitable for use in temperatures over 45°C, Palfridge, a manufacturer of refrigeration appliances located in Swaziland, was commissioned with the improvement and field testing in several sub-Saharan African countries of the following prototypes:

SolarChill vaccine cooler: this is the original SolarChill vaccine cooler for rural health services

SolarChill chest freezer: this includes modifications of the original SolarChill in the form of a chest freezer

Upright double door refrigerator: The upright double door refrigerator can also be used in households and for commercial purposes

Support for providing the models at a competitive price

To ensure wide deployment of the technology, the project aims to provide SolarChill models at a competitive price and a model for a production line which can be replicated in other developing countries. In that view, the project encompasses support for the set-up of a production line at Palfridge to provide initial manufacturing capacity and to study the economics of the production and marketing of this technology.

Background

The name SolarChill stands for an environmentally friendly refrigeration concept developed under a partnership between Greenpeace International, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH (Programme Proklima), Danish Technological Institute (DTI), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO), Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), Danfoss, and Vestfrost over the past 10 years. The original idea was to provide medical stations in rural areas away from the electricity grid with reliable cold storage to keep vaccines fresh.

2011-05-10 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

A production plant that will supply hydrocarbons for use as refrigerants, aerosol propellants and foam blowing agents is currently underway in Thailand. Having already received support from several governmental agencies, the project is now open to investors who seek active share in a project that will enable the establishment of hydrocarbon technology in Asia. UPDATE: The proposed hydrocarbon processing plant has received approval from Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI).

Responding to the rising need of using refrigerants that have no impact on the Ozone layer and at the same time minimal contribution to global warming, a project for the development of a high grade pure hydrocarbon production plant is underway in Thailand.

The project

Under the project, CEERD Co., Ltd. and EEEC Co., Ltd. will set up a hydrocarbon plant that will be operated by Asian Green Fluids Co., Ltd. Initially the plant will be able to deliver 6.000 metric tons per year (~18 metric tons per day) by processing liquefied petroleum gas.

”We are in a transitional period where dramatic choices have to be made for the sake of the planet’s future. Hydrocarbons, we believe, are one of these choices as it is our duty to respect and maintain what has been given to us by nature”, says Paul Lefèvre, EEEC Project Manager.

Concretely, the plant, expected to be located at the eastern seaboard of Thailand, will manufacture and supply Asian countries with the following environmentally friendly high-grade pure hydrocarbon products (99.5% in volume) used as refrigerants, aerosol propellants or foam blowing agents:

Propane N-Butane Iso-Butane Pentane

Project Status

Government Agencies, suppliers and potential off takers have provided support to the project. For example, the project has received substantial support notably from Thailand’s Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Industry and also Thailand’s national oil company (PTT).

After lengthy planning, the Asian Green Fluids Company (AGF Co., Ltd), has finally received approval from Thailand's Board of Investment (BOI) (www.boi.go.th) for the construction of the plant. Through the provision of support services, endorsement from the BOI will help to reduce the risks associated with the investment.

According to Dr Lefever, Director of the Centre for Energy Environment Resources development in Thailand, “The interest being shown by investors will ensure the project is constructed within the expected timeframe, with work expected to commence on the site in the upcoming months. With total estimated investment of nearly $35m US dollars, or over 1bn Baht, this is a significant project for the industry that recognises the need to move beyond current reliance on ozone depleting and powerful global warming fluorocarbon refrigerant gases.”

The full-feasibility study and engineering design for the project have been finalized and the Management Team is working on securing the estimated investment needed of $22,000,000.

About the project partners

CEERD Co., Ltd. (Centre for Energy Environment Research and Development) with over 25 years of experience in the Energy and Environment field has been in charge of carrying out the economic, engineering and technical design of the project. (www.ceerd.co.th)

EEEC Co., Ltd. (Energy Economy Environment Consultants) is an Energy Service Company (ESCO) committed to sustainable development through consultancy, training and services. EEEC is in charge of promoting and securing the investment required. (www.eeec.co.th)

Both companies are associated to develop this project, as well as other environmentally sustainable projects, such as the production of Activated Carbon from coconut/oil palm shells.

2011-07-19 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

With African countries embarking on ambitious plans to phase out HCFCs, hydrocarbons are gradually gaining favour as a viable refrigerant alternative. Following the June 2011 UNEP meeting of North and West African Montreal Protocol coordinators, the Mali representative highlights the potential for hydrocarbons, whilst a hydrocarbon instructors training workshop is launched in Benin.

On 27-30 June 2011 a thematic workshop on compliance with CFC phase out and preparation of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) Phase out Management Plans (HPMP) in French speaking North and West Africa took place in the capital city of Mali at the initiative of the UNEP Ozone Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP).

Hydrocarbons represent great promise for Africa Dr Sacko, Montreal Protocol Mali In an interview following the UNEP Meeting with representative says hydrocarbons a the “Journal du Mali”, Dr Modibo Sacko, promising technology for Africa Coordinator for Montreal Protocol implementation in Mali spoke very highly of the potential for hydrocarbon refrigeration in Africa, and in related articles particular, of the efficiencies achieved when using hydrocarbon refrigerants. Referring to Hydrocarbon technologies showcased at hydrocarbons as a “new technology” with no UNEP Maldives conference - Part 3, 20 May harmful ozone of climatic effects, according to Dr 2011 Sacko a cost-efficiency study has shown energy savings of 40% for hydrocarbon refrigeration. Hydrocarbons, he says, lead to cost savings, in Hydrocarbon technologies showcased at addition to speeding up the cooling process. In Dr UNEP Maldives conference, Part 2, 19 May Sacko’s view, hydrocarbons represent an 2011 environmentally sound technology with benefits for the consumer.

Swaziland presents SolarChill at Montreal African hydrocarbon training workshops Protocol talks, 18 Jun 2010

On 15 June 2011 teaching workshops for instructors for air conditioning conversion In the footsteps of an African hydrocarbon technician training were inaugurated in the manufacturer, 10 May 2010 African country of Benin. The aim of the teaching workshops is to reduce the use of HCFCs by 10% in 2015, 30% in 2020, and 67,7% in 2025 and Southern African company converts entire 100% in 2030. production line to HCs, 29 Oct 2009

According to Jeremy Bazye, UNEP OzonAction regional coordinator these workshops will enable participants to gain essential tools and information for the safe handling of hydrocarbon refrigerants. More specifically, the workshops will provide training on the safe storage and transportation of hydrocarbons, the necessary changes to be made before air conditioning systems are switched to hydrocarbons, refrigerant recovery, and air conditioning charge procedures for hydrocarbons.

Workshop participants came from Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia.

African Hydrocarbon projects

Other African projects involving hydrocarbons include a pilot project in Swaziland to convert blowing agents in manufacturing to hydrocarbon gases. This was the first demonstration of hydrocarbon technology in Southern Africa, and in addition to cutting direct F-gas emissions by up to 29,000 tons of CO2 equivalent, strengthened local manufacturer Palfridge’s market position.

African Anglophone Ozone Officers meeting

Prior to the Francophone Mali workshop a four-day meeting of the Anglophone countries took place in the Seychelles, bringing together representatives from 23 African countries, to discuss opportunities for enhancing South-South cooperation and technology options for avoiding the use of HCFCs. Reviewing progress on fulfilling their obligations under the Protocol, the meeting highlighted the major milestones already accomplished by many African nations.

“Collective action by African countries to address the ozone layer depletion when they have contributed the least in causing that problem is iconic,” said Rajendra Shende, Head of UNEP’s OzonAction Programme.

Background

The OzonAction Porgramme provides capacity-building services to empower National Ozone units (NOUs) and includes training, regional networking and an information clearing-house. To provide direct assistance to countries, a Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP) was launched with regional CAP teams part of each of the UNEP regional Offices. The Africa CAP teams provide assistance to the two main networks of Ozone officers from Anglophone Africa and Francophone Africa.

Under the Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund nearly $175 million (!123 million) will be provided to countries across Africa for 1200 projects. However, this is only 10% of the funds received by all developing countries.

2011-03-17 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

The National Ozone Unit of Grenada has launched a series of training workshops to prepare for the phase out of HCFCs. The first in the series workshop was dedicated to natural refrigerant technology, whereby technicians got hands on experience in retrofitting HCFC refrigerators and mobile air condition systems with hydrocarbons.

On 12 March 2011, The National Ozone Unit (NOU) in the Energy Division of the Ministry of Finance in Grenada conducted its first in a series of training workshops for 2011 on Natural Refrigerant Technology, at the Grenada National Stadium.

The training session was part of Grenada’s global effort to rid the planet of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) and to introduce alternatives Grenada technicians receive training in with low Global Warming Potential (GWP), as hydrocarbon technology underlined by Project Officer in the NOU, Mr. Leslie Smith at the opening of the event. related articles About the natural refrigerant training IOR assigns gold medal for research in session hydrocarbon refrigeration, 25 Feb 2011

Sixteen local technicians, representing various institutions and companies were trained in the UL issues white paper on hydrocarbon application of hydrocarbons, ammonia, and refrigerants, 2 Feb 2011 carbon dioxide as refrigerants for the refrigeration and air-conditioning sector in UK: narrowing the natural refrigerant Grenada. training gap, 25 Nov 2010

Conducted by Mr. Michael Mitchell and Mr. Henry Frederick, two senior local technicians certified by the NOU, the workshop included both theoretical and practical components.

In his presentation, Mr. Fredrick pointed out that many experts have considered hydrocarbon refrigerants as the refrigerant of the future because of its low Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) and high energy efficiency. In Europe over the last ten years, hydrocarbon refrigerants have been used extensively in domestic refrigeration units.

During the workshop, technicians also gained hands-on experience in:

Retrofitting HCFC domestic refrigerators and mobile air condition (MAC) systems to hydrocarbon technology. Safe handling and storage of hydrocarbons Charging appliances with hydrocarbon refrigerant

About the training workshops:

The NOU training sessions are an integral component of Grenada’s HCFC Phase out Management Plan (HPMP) that is expected to be launched in April 2011. Under this plan, Grenada is required to phase out 35% of its consumption of HCFC refrigerants by the year 2020.

Mr. Smith urged participants to make full use of this training opportunity as it will provide them with the latest information on technologies available and offer a competitive advantage for the HVAC&R industry in Grenada, as new and emerging technologies are introduced on the market.

2010-07-30 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

UNEP launched policy and technical guides designed to help governments and industries in developing countries make informed and timely decisions about the technologies and policies needed to replace or avoid HCFCs and attain both ozone layer recovery and climate protection benefits. Among other issues, the guides offer case studies and technical guidance pertaining to hydrocarbon refrigerants.

Three guides on legislative options, refrigeration & air conditioning options and foams form part of a “tool-box” launched by UNEP and the European Commission at a media briefing yesterday in Brussels, Belgium. They are available as e-books that are accessible online through the website of UNEP and include:

HCFC Policy and Legislative Options - A Guide for Developing Countries: “The dual gains for the ozone layer and related articles climate system will be realised only if countries choose the right path, which Call for input: UNEP survey on barriers of may not be the “business as usual” hydrocarbons uptake technology option and which may require additional consideration by those making UNEP seeks stakeholder input to chiller the decision”. This document offers workshop National Ozone Units guidance on how to use policy and legislation as tools to quickly seize the opportunity to protect more on this topic the ozone layer and the climate system

Alternatives to HCFCs in the Download the HCFC Policy and Legislative Options’ guide refrigeration and Air Conditioning Sector: Targeting national Ozone Units as

its main audience, but also technicians as Download the 'Alternatives to HCFCs in the the secondary audience, this guide reflects refrigeration and Air Conditioning Sector' the fact that there are a lot of technology guide developments taking place right now – it is a developing scene. It aims to avoid the need of future installations of HCFC equipment, which could be right now the cheapest solution in developing countries, to increase retrofits when possible, and encourage the uptake of new HCFC-free technologies.

Guidance on the Process for Selecting Alternatives to HCFCs in Foams: This guide assesses the drivers, priorities and new factors to be considered by the foam sector. Encompassing a guide on how to select technologies, it offers a review of options, their strengths and weaknesses. “Hydrocarbons are good refrigerants”

“Hydrocarbons are good refrigerants with zero ODP and negligible GWP”, reads the technical guide ‘Alternatives to HCFCs in the refrigeration and Air Conditioning Sector’. It provides an overview of different hydrocarbons and includes information on the design of hydrocarbon systems.

The guide also draws upon case studies where hydrocarbons have been used. For example, the case of “Fruit Storage with hydrocarbon chillers at Nickle farm in UK” is presented, whereby a “hydrocarbon chiller was selected to minimise the direct global warming impact from the refrigerant. By using an indirect system, the primary refrigerant charge could be minimized (each circuit contained 5.5 kg). with chillers placed outside the building the risks are reduced”.

Informed and timely decisions with the guide

“The timing of [the publications] is important because the freeze of production and consumption of HCFCs is in 2 years time, when at the same time the consumption in developing countries and their economies are booming”, explained Rajendra Shende, Chief, OzonAction, UNEP Division of Technology, Industry and Economics. The guides will enable challenging targets to be met mainly by the servicing sector in these countries, as most countries are not HCFC producers.

2009-10-13 - hydrocarbons21.com 0 tweet

During the next three days, the National Ozone Unit Belize is organising a trainers’ workshop in hydrocarbon technology for technicians in the local refrigeration and air conditioning sector. The workshop aims to prepare the trainers of tomorrow in a technology that will not be addressed by future legislation.

As “experts are not recommending that countries make the full transition from HCFCs to hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) such as R134a, R404 or R410a since these gases have a very high global warming potential and will be addressed in the years to come”, the Ozone Unit of Belize is conducting a 3-day trainers’ workshop in hydrocarbon refrigeration technology.

The country has, therefore, recognised the merits of and is taking action in leapfrogging HFC technology and directly moving from HCFCs to future-proof natural refrigerants.

Preparing the future trainers in hydrocarbon refrigerants

The workshop aims to train participants on the use, handling and safety of hydrocarbon refrigerants in refrigeration and air conditioning systems.

Lead trainer and hydrocarbon expert Daniel Colbourne, from the United Kingdom, will diffuse his knowledge to senior technicians from across Belize as well as the Caribbean region, including Grenada, Guyana, Suriname, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, St. Kits & Nevis, and the Bahamas.

Upon completion of the workshop, participants will be certified as trainers in hydrocarbon refrigerants, whom will assist the Department of the Environment to train other local technicians in the sector in future training workshops.