The European Commission (EC), the executive body of the 25 member countries of the European Union (EU) responsible for proposing legislation, is continuing its efforts to phase down — and in some applications phase out — use of HFC refrigerants in much of Europe.
It’s important for readers within the refrigeration industry to be aware of what’s being talked about in Europe, especially from a regulatory standpoint. There is talk of a phaseout of virgin HFC refrigerant production rather than a phasedown.
The NEWS has been inviting those involved in the reclamation sector to provide their perspectives on proper recovery and reclamation procedures and how both processes work.
As 2012 races to a close, The NEWS is proud to celebrate those making headlines this year — our NEWSmakers. Rather than lounge around and wait for the industry to come to them, these pacesetters rushed to the forefront, leading by example.
Honeywell has announced that it has begun shipping additional quantities of HFO-1234yf, which it markets as Solstice™ yf. The refrigerant is targeted for the automotive market, although other HFO configurations are being developed for stationary applications.
A technical conference in 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand, has provided some of the most up-to-date information on a way to deal with unwanted ozone depleting and greenhouse gases. The conference was the 32nd Open Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol.
The attention that’s being paid to HFC refrigerants used as retrofits in HCFC-22 systems is among the more positive developments in the industry. Refrigerant manufacturers are working with contractors and end users in doing such retrofits in real-world situations.
Rajan Rajendran has garnered recognition as one of the leading experts on the use of alternative refrigerants. His knowledge and ability has gained him recognition as one of The NEWS’ 2012 NEWSMakers.
Now, more than ever, the industry has been looking for alternatives to R-22 to keep the huge existing base of R-22 equipment up and running. More reclamation has been one option. But at the same time, attention is being paid to a large number of HFC refrigerants that can be retrofitted into R-22 equipment.
Because no one HFC refrigerant can be retrofitted efficiently into the entire range of R-22 equipment, a wide and sometimes changing variety of HFCs have entered the market. The NEWS contacted a number of refrigerant manufacturers asking them to discuss some of their most popular HFCs for R-22 retrofits.
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