-
Technical
The IOR Environment Working Group has identified a number of key areas for supporting the path to net zero (www.ior.org.uk/beyondrefrigeration). However, underlying any cooling and many heat pump operations is a vapour compression system that uses a refrigerant as a working fluid. Equipment owners, operators and advisors are making purchasing decisions that influence the selection of refrigerant and equipment being installed now and in use well into the future. To support net zero targets the IOR recommends that equipment designers, purchasers, owners and operators implement a policy that requires the selection of a refrigerant with the lowest GWP possible.
With the on-going phase down and quota restrictions on HFC refrigerants having the greatest impact on the availability of higher GWP refrigerants as well as certain use bans under national regulations, there are very good commercial and environmental reasons for moving to low GWP refrigerants.
The latest IOR Beyond Refrigeration Policy Brief explores practices and policies that will incentivise the use of low GWP refrigerants. Read this and other policy briefs at the Beyond Refrigeration website pages.
The IOR Guidance Note 37 “Refrigerant Selection” gives a more complete explanation of all the criteria that should be adopted in selecting the most appropriate refrigerant for the application.
