1.2.8 Replacement of the refrigerants fluids in heating and cooling equipment
Description
Refrigerants are fluids used for exchanges of energy in refrigeration systems. This measure consists in the replacement of the current refrigerant of the air conditioning equipment by a new refrigerant based on HydroCarbons (HCs) which is manufactured based on natural compounds.
Benefits
No damage of the ozone layer: refrigerants with low Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and Global Warming Potential (GWP)
It is not required to perform any substitution on the equipment parts
It takes less refrigerant for the same charge
Limitations
HCs do not perform as well as HydroChloroFluoroCarbons (HCFCs)
Economic assessment
Initial investment: high. Estimated payback: 14 years.
References and best practices
HVAC refrigerants: a balanced approach: www.trane.com/commercial/uploads/pdf/11612/related_literature/refrigerant/hvac_refrigerants.pdf
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CHARACTERIZATION
Environment or playable world:
Residential
Academic
Offices
All
Carried out by:
Public building users
Owners
Operators
All
Reduce consumption of:
Heating
Cooling
DHW
Lighting
Electric devices
Type of driver:
Physical environmental
Contextual
Psychological
Physiological
Social
Time framework:
- Short term
- Long term
Type of measure:
- Envelope
- HVAC
- DHW
- Lighting
- Electrical devices
- Other
