Besides the fact that ONE of the main ODS labour intensive sectors of refrigeration and Air conditioning sector (RAC), including heat pumps and dehumidifiers, also uses 15% to 20% (IMO, 2002) global electricity. Economic growth in many Article 5 countries, in countries with a hot climate results in the corresponding growth of the sector RAC. In applications where HCFCs are important to reduce losses in food production and distribution chain. There is also a lot of applications that are essential for industrial production and human comfort, where HCFC play an important role today. Expansion will increase the power consumption, if the efficiency measures, including the introduction of more energy efficient technologies are implemented effectively respectively.
There are well proven technologies accessible for the replacement of HCFCs with non-ozone-depleting substances, as well as to improve energy efficiency in all air conditioning and refrigeration equipment.
Alternatives such as H FCs can be used with minimal changes to existing technology, but have a high global warming potential. Refrigerants with low-or zero-GWP should be the preferred solution, when they can be used in a safe and cost-effective manner, not leading to a rise in energy consumption. High GWP refrigerants should only be used when technical, economic or security reasons require them, and in such cases should be used in systems with minimal leakage and emissions during servicing and at the end-of-life equipment. Emissions should be minimized through the implementation of good maintenance practices and effective re-use schemes.
The main HCFC frequently used in air conditioning and refrigeration until 1985 was R-22. The main sectors where R-22, the preferred refrigerant were in the air conditioning and industrial systems the sectors in which he was also competes with ammonia. When CFCs were identified as a powerful ODS and a global phase-out agreed under the Montreal Protocol in 1987, HCFCs, have been identified as less harmful substances and introduced in several sub-sectors that were not traditional HCFC applications. As a result, R-22 HCFC-containing drop-in combines are now in the refrigeration equipment and to some extent in transport refrigeration. In the result of the replacement of HCFCs will have an impact on many sectors and, to some extent used sometimes be options for the replacement of CFCs, rather than those designed for R-22 applications. The focus of this report is on those segments where R-22 has a significant market share, but to provide a more complete upgrade in other sectors will also be covered, although with less attention...
Refrigerants