Sustainability, Rules Drive CO₂ Refrigeration Market

The business and industrial refrigeration sector goes inexperienced. This evolution is essentially dictated by company environmental, social, and governance efforts; the demand for better vitality effectivity; authorities rules; net-zero vitality objectives; and extra.

And, when evaluating the choices obtainable, for a lot of situations, there’s no higher answer than CO₂ refrigeration (R-744) – at the least that’s what the consultants we spoke with mentioned.

“As a pure refrigerant, CO₂ is extremely versatile, making it a extremely engaging refrigerant for varied purposes, together with refrigeration, air con, and heating,” mentioned Evan Aschow, lead engineer, Effecterra. “When correctly designed and commissioned, CO₂ methods can exhibit excessive vitality effectivity, contributing to value financial savings and environmental sustainability. Contemplating all choices, CO₂ is a well-rounded answer for various industrial, business, and residential refrigeration wants.”

CO₂’s Sustainability Property

R-744 is a pure refrigerant with an ozone depletion potential (ODP) of zero and a worldwide warming potential (GWP) of 1. These are key figures when contemplating the governmental rules presently dictating the refrigerant panorama, which embrace the Kigali Modification to the Montreal Protocol, a government-led phasedown of high-GWP hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, system effectivity {qualifications}, and extra.

“CO₂ is extremely environmentally pleasant,” mentioned Trevor Matthews, founding father of Refrigerationmentor.com. “For those who lose 1 pound of CO₂ refrigerant into the environment, that’s 1 pound of GWP. Nonetheless, for those who’re working with 2,000 kilos of R-404A, and also you lose all of it, that’s nearly 8 million kilos of GWP. With CO₂, 2,000 kilos of CO₂ is simply 2,000 GWP. Thus, from an environmental standpoint, CO₂ is way much less dangerous than many widespread refrigerants.”

Moreover, the warmth switch traits of CO₂ are usually extra engaging than artificial refrigerants, which helps improve a system’s operational effectivity.

“CO₂ is great at shifting warmth – it’s among the best,” mentioned Matthews. “Whether or not it’s cooling merchandise down or heating processes up, CO₂ has a superb internet refrigeration impact.”

Complete Equal Warming Impression

The Complete Equal Warming Impression (TEWI) is a metric used to evaluate the general environmental impression of a refrigeration system, making an allowance for each direct and oblique contributions to international warming. It combines two fundamental components:

• Direct Impression (Direct TEWI): This part measures the direct emissions of refrigerants throughout their use in a refrigeration system. It consists of the GWP of the refrigerant itself and any leakage or launch of the refrigerant throughout operation.
• Oblique Impression (Oblique TEWI): This part considers the vitality consumption of the refrigeration system over its whole life cycle, together with the manufacturing, transportation, and disposal of the tools in addition to the vitality consumed throughout operation. Oblique TEWI considers the emissions related to electrical energy technology in addition to any losses or inefficiencies within the refrigeration system.

By combining the direct and oblique parts, TEWI offers a complete measure of the environmental impression of a refrigeration system, contemplating each the direct emissions of refrigerants and the vitality consumption related to their use.

Whereas a CO₂ refrigeration system’s TEWI can range relying on varied components, resembling the precise utility, system design, working circumstances, and vitality supply used, most CO₂ refrigeration methods could have a a lot decrease TEWI when in comparison with HFC or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).

In 2018, the Journal of Cleaner Manufacturing printed a examine exploring the TEWI of a number of refrigerant methods in heat cities. The analysis examined the efficiency of assorted refrigerant methods, together with an R-744 multi-ejector refrigerant system with heating and air con capabilities, an R-404A direct growth system mixed with an R-410A chiller for air con functions, and others.

The outcomes confirmed that for places with common yearly temperatures between 14.1°C (57.4°F) and 18.9°C (66°F), the R-744 multi-ejector answer achieved vitality financial savings from 19.3% to 26.9% in addition to a 53.2% to 90.9% discount in TEWI.

Whereas the examine’s outcomes differed based mostly on the dimensions and scope of the air con system in addition to the geographical location and local weather, the R-744 answer built-in with air con functionalities supplied vitality financial savings from 15.6% to 26.2% when in comparison with standard HFC-based options.

“The unhazardous and nonflammable nature of CO₂ provides to its enchantment, enhancing security features in

comparability to another refrigerants,” mentioned Aschow. “CO₂ is well-suited to switch conventional artificial refrigerants in small to large-sized refrigeration amenities throughout varied sectors.”

In The Pole Place

CO₂ refrigeration methods are poised and able to meet the current and future calls for of the varied HVACR purposes throughout quite a few purposes, together with supermarkets, distribution facilities, chilly storage amenities, meals processing vegetation, ice rinks, information facilities, and lots of extra.

“Trying forward, we anticipate an elevated prevalence of CO₂ in HVAC purposes as we combine dew level coolers and different know-how into warmth pumps,” mentioned Aschow. “This strategic deployment is geared toward delivering distinctive vitality effectivity all through each cooling and heating seasons. The evolving panorama of CO₂ know-how positions it as a forward-thinking answer, significantly in enhancing the sustainability and effectivity of HVAC methods.”

So far as refrigerants are involved, CO₂ is actually within the pole place in relation to sustainable, future-ready options.

“CO₂ is among the many finest choices, if not the very best, presently obtainable,” mentioned Aschow. “It’s emerged as a futureproof answer, aligning with regulatory developments and long-term environmental objectives.”

The manifestation of CO₂ refrigerant is upon us, and its presence is simply rising bigger by the day.

“It’s solely a matter of time earlier than most, if not all, supermarkets are utilizing CO₂,” mentioned Matthews. “And cooling is just one facet of CO₂’s attain. Proper now, there are 5 million CO₂ water heaters working in Japan. These methods are shortly turning into extra prevalent in North America. The refrigerant’s versatility makes it an extremely invaluable answer throughout a number of HVAC purposes.”

Matthews summed it up very succinctly: “The CO₂ refrigeration dialog is rising. Now’s the time to start out investing in your self.”