Playing The Hand That's Been Dealt
Refrigeration Maintenance
New, efficient technology will inevitably replace the existing refrigeration plant. But in order to lower greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, we must improve the operational efficiency of the existing stock. |
| 10 Jul 2009, by Sean McGowan |
| Australian boasts an estimated bank of some 29 million air conditioning and refrigeration devices – a staggering 1.33 devices for every man, woman and child. |
| Combined, these devices consumed some 45,000GWh of electricity in 2006 (approximately 22 percent of the nation’s electricity consumption) and were responsible for about 7 per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions with about 40Mt CO2-e from indirect emissions and 4.5Mt CO2-e of direct emissions through refrigerant leaks, ignoring end-of-life treatment. Peter Brodribb, principal consultant of the newly established The Expert Group, which specializes in climate-change and energy-efficient technologies, systems and practices, asks a salient question when relaying these figures. What difference could the HVAC&R industry make if the performance of these existing devices was improved by 30 per cent or more by 2020? As he sees it, new, efficient technology will inevitably replace the existing bank. But to reach the targets we have set out to achieve, we must play the hand we’ve been dealt, and that means improving the operational efficiency of existing stock. “The real challenge and emission reduction opportunity is with the existing stock of equipment”, he says. “New low-emission technology will take a decade or more to improve the bank of equipment (so) we need to act now with improved sustainable maintenance and refrigerant containment practices.” While our mission is clear, can the industry overcome the obstacles of obstinacy and cost-cutting that have dogged it in the past? |
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Challenging the Status Quo |
| It is a widely acknowledged industry reality that the “do nothing” approach (in other words, pollute) has been seen as an easier option to completing regular maintenance on refrigerant plant to ensure efficient operation and eliminate leaks. The inherent difficulty in measuring the financial benefit of improved refrigeration maintenance remains one of the largest obstacles to reducing emissions from existing stock, and the ultimate cost of this cost-cutting exercise is the environment itself. “Unfortunately on most occasions we do not speak to the owner of the equipment about maintenance and its advantages”, explains Gary Faint, operations manager for AE Smith Service on the Gold Coast (picture above). “Instead, we are dealing with a building manager who has little or no knowledge or appreciation of the equipment. Essentially these people are given a budget to work within the maintenance of anything not visible is left behind. In the meantime, we have a substantial asset deteriorating at a rapid rate.” Usually, it’s not until equipment breaks down and the cost of its replacement is revealed that the owner raises the issue of maintenance, or more precisely the lack thereof. In the case of refrigerant leaks, Faint is adamant it is easier to pollute than carry out required maintenance. “Unfortunately, right now many find it easier to top up a system than to reclaim the refrigerant, find and repair the leak and re-commission the system”, he says. “So until the policing of these practices is effective, it will continue to happen, especially where budgetary constraints are concerned.” Brodribb says regular maintenance should focus on the elimination of refrigerant leaks, particularly from flared joints, Schrader valves, seals, concealed refrigerant pipes and “overcharging” of refrigerant. Automatic refrigerant monitoring should be employed where practical, with measurement by log books linked to official reporting to relevant agencies. “Technology will play a significant role in migrating these devices to a lower emission bank over the next decade,” he says. “In the meantime Australia needs to align with international refrigerant containment best practices whilst technology transforms the bank.” Thankfully, there are a number of best-practice containment strategies operating overseas from which to learn, including STEK practices in the Netherlands; the Californian EPA Global Warming Solutions Act; the European Union F-Gas regulations and initiatives by the UK Carbon Trust, which launched the REAL Zero refrigerant emission and leakage program. “These containment strategies involve a range of solutions incorporating improved design, installation, servicing, end-of-life treatment and maintenance practices of HVAC&R equipment,” Brodbribb says. |
The Critical Role of Essential Maintenance |
| If anyone is in doubt as to the enormous impact the HVAC&R industry has on Australia’s energy consumption and subsequent carbon footprint, one only has to point to the dairy and frozen aisles of our largest retailers. Supermarkets have the largest emissions profile of any sector of the HVAC&R industry, with their systems consuming the best part of 4 per cent of Australia’s total electricity usage, while containing large refrigerant charges with significant leak rates. Just as their impact on Australia’s carbon footprint is significant, the flip side is that effective maintenance of plant in this sector presents an enormous emission reduction opportunity just waiting to be tackled. According to Michael Claydon, Service Manager with AE Smith Service Brisbane, not only does a refrigerant leak cause the obvious direct greenhouse gas emission, it also impact negatively on the efficient operation of plant, leading to further indirect emissions. “If for instance if you were running a plant short of refrigerant the compressor would have to run longer to achieve the same pull-down of temperature when compared to a correctly charged system, thus resulting in greater energy use and greenhouse gas emissions”, explains Claydon. He says there are a number of relatively simple checks that can be done that quickly reveal whether plant efficiency is compromised and leaks are occurring. “Basically if you follow the principles of look, listen and feel you are on the right path,” Claydon says. “A well-maintained plant should be operating at its highest level of efficiency,” he says. “As much as 1300g of CO2 is produced from burning coal to produce 1kWh of electricity in Victoria and less in other states. So a 700kWr refrigeration plant with a COP of 3.0 was running 10 per cent less efficiently than it should for 12 hours per day, it would generate in excess of 1.338 tonnes of CO2 annually.” It seems that while greater industry education on the environment impacts and efficiency losses associated with improper maintenance would be a starting point, broader thinking is required to convince decision makers that maintenance is not a “nice-to-do” but rather a must-do. Claydon says without an understanding of the regulations regarding refrigerant use or an appreciation for the environmental, economical and social costs of improper refrigerant use and disposal, clients simply won’t get it. It is a task that Refrigerants Australia has set about tackling, particularly with the shadow of a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme looming. “We need a joint government-industry blueprint that provides a coordinated, strategic framework for reducing refrigerant leaks that focuses on containment and improved practices, capabilities, training and equipment standards,” says Brodribb, who points to the overseas models as proof of his point. “It is encouraging to see improved sustainable practices and procedures emerging as an emission reduction strategy rather than continuing to talk up cool, new technology.” The HVAC&R industry has a vital role to play in helping Australia meet its greenhouse gas emission targets over the next decade, and while advances in technology are warmly welcomed, it’s clear that dealing with the here and now is what matters most. |
| Source: This article first appeared in the July 09 issue of Ecolibrium and is reprinted with permission from AIRAH. Back issues of Ecolibrium can be read online here. |
