News

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water engaged recognised independent testing facilities to bench test refrigeration and air conditioning equipment to find out how much additional power was used when common faults were applied to the equipment. The bench testing was to determine the benefits of regular equipment maintenance.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and The Republic of Indonesia have become the latest countries to ratify the Kigali Amendment to phase down HFC refrigerants.

Operation DEMETER VIII, which took place from 1 to 31 October 2022, gave Customs administrations and their partners an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to playing their part in the fight against climate change.

A new range of Daikin cold room monoblock refrigeration units are said to have shown around 14% energy savings using Embraco’s FMFT variable speed R290 compressors.

All common higher GWP HFC refrigerants including R134a, R404A and R410A will be banned in most new refrigeration and air conditioning applications from 2025 under new US EPA proposals.

Latest proposal under the bipartisan AIM Act promotes US development and manufacturing of climate-safe HFC alternatives, saving billions in costs.

Ciat has now developed its Vectios rooftop air conditioning units to use the lower GWP A2L refrigerant R454B.

Trane has introduced new air-cooled Sintesis eXcellent GVAF and water-cooled XStream eXcellent GVWF chillers with magnetic-bearing compressors and low GWP refrigerant R1234ze.

After 30 years of unremitting efforts, China has phased out a total of 504,000 tons of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) since its accession to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, contributing significantly to climate change mitigation and ozone layer protection, the country’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment said on Monday.

For 16 years, Partners in EPA’s RAD program have leveraged best environmental practices to collect and dispose of old refrigerated appliances such as refrigerators and freezers, window air conditioners, and dehumidifiers.

Italian manufacturer Zudek’s air-cooled, low-charge ammonia/NH₃ (R717) chiller has improved the energy efficiency ratio (EER) of a cooling system at a pharmaceutical site in Belgium, by 20%, compared to its previous HFC-based unit.

Scientists at a German research organisation are looking to cool buildings using a “programmable” insulation foam that can change shape depending on the temperature.

Many causes of air pollution, such as vehicle emissions and industrial fumes, are more apparent outdoors, but air quality indoors can be equally poor. It can be a particularly acute problem in enclosed spaces like classrooms, with children being more vulnerable to the effects of pollution.

After recent heavy investment in the expansion of their capacity in the US, A-Gas is completing the construction of its latest refrigerant separation towers at its Rhome, Texas plant, located outside of Dallas/Fort Worth. The expansion project, which began earlier this year, represents A-Gas’ continued commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology aimed at substantially increasing the quantity of reclaimed refrigerant gases, bringing new capacity online in 2023 to supply the US.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has described heat pumps as “indispensable” in efforts to cut emissions and has urged policy makers worldwide to put their weight behind the technology.

Cambodia has recently announced its new National Cooling Action Plan, the first to be developed in South-East Asia.

Trials of a prototype high temperature heat pump using the low GWP HFO refrigerant R1233zd has secured £406,000 of UK government funding.

Tewis Smart Systems has developed ECO₂Smart, a patent-pending system that is said to improve the performance of its CO₂ equipment, guaranteeing lower energy consumption in extreme temperatures.

The new Ecodan CAHV-R air-source heat pump from Mitsubishi Electric uses lower GWP A2L refrigerant R454C.

The world celebrates the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer once a year, but for Saint Lucia, the annual month-long observance highlights year-round work on ozone protection.