European contractor’s association AREA has launched its guide on the new F-gas regulation, aimed at clarifying the forthcoming changes for professionals who work in the refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump sectors.

The new F-gas regulation includes many changes that will become reality on Jan. 1, 2015 and will substantially affect the content and performance of their activities.

AREA aims to provide a tool that explains and clarifies the new rules, their impact, and their practical application.

Per Jonasson, president of AREA, said, “This guide is the result of a work that started immediately after the EU Institutions found a compromise on the final text.

“Having closely followed the revision since the very beginning, we were well-placed to anticipate the questions the new regulation would trigger.

“Yet addressing them into a comprehensive yet clear and practical guide required great efforts and commitment from the entire AREA membership over more than six months.”

The European Commission also cooperated to ensure common understanding and consistency.

The guide addresses all aspects relevant to contractors. For each theme, it highlights what the impact is on contractors and it makes suggestions as to what they should do.

It also includes useful tools, such as a conversion table weight-CO2-eq for the most commonly used refrigerants, a flowchart on leak check frequency, and a table summarizing certification requirements.

AREA also took that opportunity to give an opinion on how Member States could/should interpret and apply certain provisions, notably on delivery of f-gases and on sale of pre-charged equipment. “These two issues are very important to AREA. We make concrete suggestions to ensure the practical effectiveness of the regulation’s good principles,” said Jonasson.

The guide is a living document that will be updated and completed following experience and notably after the adoption of implementing legislation.

AREA will also create thematic fiches on the most important issues for contractors (e.g., leakage checking, delivery of f-gases, service ban).

The AREA F-Gas Guide on the application of the new F-gas regulation for refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump contractors is available at www.area-eur.be.

Content for the European Spotlight is provided courtesy of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Magazine, London. For more information, visit www.racplus.com.

Publication date: 11/3/2014