Daikin turns up the heat in the run up to the HFC phase-down at MCE 2018 - DEU18-011

Daikin Europe unveiled its latest products and concepts highlighting the highest sustainable air conditioning, heating and refrigeration with the lowest carbon footprint available on the market, at this year’s Milan’s Comfort Expo.

The largest trade fair for air conditioning in Europe, the annual MCE global marketplace aims to showcase cutting-edge technologies in HVAC-R focusing on environmentally friendly high performance, energy efficient systems for commercial, industrial and residential applications.

The HVAC-R industry is currently experiencing the impact of the EU F gas regulationi.  The HFC phasedown step in 2018 requires a reduction of CO2 equivalent consumption to 63% of the baseline period and a reduction to 21% is needed from 2030 onwards. Several independent studiesi  have shown that a combination of actions can contribute to achieving these targets:

• Use of refrigerants with a lower GWP value *¹
• Reduction of the amount of refrigerant charge*¹
• Improved refrigerant containment 
• Enhancing refrigerant recovery, reclamation and reuse *²

The Sooner, The Better for the Future 

Daikin’s introduction of new lower GWP refrigerants is multi-layered, as there is no single refrigerant covering all systems and applications. As demonstrated to delegates at this year’s MCE, Daikin’s latest systems combine the use of existing HFCs, new HFCs and non HFC-refrigerants. 

Our unique role as equipment, refrigerant and compressor manufacturer, enables us to select the best refrigerant for each system and application. Daikin’s newest chiller ranges use HFOs, while for other industrial applications like refrigeration R-410A, R-407H and CO2 are amongst the best solutions and are also available in our ranges, commented Daikin VRV Product Manager, George Dimou.

For comfort applications Daikin has the largest R-32 range on the market, incorporating its unique  Bluevolution technology.  A full range of optimized Split and Sky Air systems, alongside new versions of the Daikin Altherma residential systems are now charged with R-32 refrigerant. The manufacturer estimates it has already saved an estimated 75 million tonnes in CO² equivalent emissions since 2012*³ by adopting the greener refrigerant. 

Daikin’s dedicated research and development centers strive to develop consumer-oriented products which aim to respond to the needs of the users. Our development of a VRV with a lower GWP refrigerant will offer significantly enhanced environmental performance compared to the conventional models currently available in the market, added George Dimou.

Whilst today R-410A remains the best solution for VRV systems in Europe (delivered through the VRV IV+ series), the latest technological advances are now set to make the development of an optimised and specifically designed VRV system with low GWP and enhanced refrigerant containment possible.

To find out more about Daikin click here  

*¹ Lower GWP refrigerants and reduced charge where clearly visible in the new products shown at Mostra Convegno, with many worlds firsts exhibited.

*² During the exhibition Daikin highlighted the advantages of providing a circular economy for refrigerants though enhancement of refrigerant recovery, reclamation and reuse.

*³ December 2017 figure

i Regulation EU 517/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on fluorinated greenhouse gases.   

ii Phase Down of HFC Consumption in the EU – Assessment of Implications for the RAC Sector.  SKM Enviros, September 2012.    EPEE Gapometer (European Partnership for Energy and Environment) : https://www.epeeglobal.org/refrigerants/the-gapometer-faq/

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