ASHRAE Journal - June 2021 - 30

ROUNDTABLE
pump contractors), on average less than 7% of all certified
installers are trained for these non-fluorinated
gases. With the phasedown pushing the market toward
lower GWP, this turns out to be a major concern, and
change needs to happen fast. The same applies to building
codes, which are, in many countries, still restricting
the use of flammable refrigerants.
Another point is the increasing importance of refrigerant
recovery, recycling and reclaim fostered by the
phasedown. There is still a lack of data to better understand
to what extent refrigerant recovery, recycling and
reclaim quantities have increased. But little doubt exists
that there is a true change in behavior by users and
installers as HFCs are becoming increasingly " precious "
thanks to the phasedown.
This development is well in line with the circular economy,
one of the major pillars of the European Green Deal.
Finally, basic requirements such as containment (leakage
prevention) have also continuously increased in importance.
Growing awareness exists in the market that leakage
prevention is not only beneficial for the environment
but also for safety, energy efficiency and cost.
How is the European Union F-gas phasedown going? What
have been the issues? What has been going better than expected?
Voigt: In a nutshell: today it works very well. However,
at the very beginning many stakeholders underestimated
and/or did not properly understand the phasedown
mechanism. Rather than anticipating the first big
cut of 37% in 2018, they focused mainly on the upcoming
GWP thresholds, which were still further away. This led
to lack of action and, as a consequence, to refrigerant
shortages and massive price increases. Meanwhile, the
market has gone back to normal, and the required HFC
consumption reductions (expressed in CO2 equivalent)
are being achieved as planned.
The fact that some segments, such as small split AC
equipment, have already transitioned to R-32 (although
the relevant GWP thresholds will not apply until 2025)
show that the phasedown principle works well, sending
the right signals to the market, while leaving flexibility
of choice for the best-suited solutions. Altogether,
according to the latest statistics,5 HFC emissions in
Europe have been steadily decreasing since 2014,
achieving the highest relative emission reductions of all
non-CO2 greenhouse gases.
Will the European Union (EU) continue to expand the list of
product bans in the next update?
30
ASHRAE JOURNAL ashrae.o rg
J U N E 2021
Voigt: Currently, the European Union (EU) F-Gas
Regulation stipulates GWP thresholds for certain types
of HVAC&R equipment. For example, refrigerants with
a GWP above 2,500 have been banned in new stationary
refrigeration equipment since 2020; refrigerants with
a GWP above 750 will be banned in new single-split airconditioning
equipment with less than 3 kg (7 lb) charge
in 2025; there are many others, listed under the socalled
Annex III of the regulation.6 It cannot be excluded
that GWP thresholds for certain equipment types may be
added as the F-Gas Regulation is being revised.
However, the review has only just started, and it is difficult
to predict the future. It can be expected with certainty
that existing GWP thresholds will be thoroughly
scrutinized and that adding new ones will be considered.
It remains to be seen what will come out of this
exercise, and for industry it's crucial to be involved right
from the start. Stay tuned.
Has smuggling of refrigerants had a significant impact?
Voigt: Illegal imports can indeed jeopardize the goals
of the F-Gas Regulation. Steps such as better information
and cooperation of Customs authorities are steps in
the right direction and must be strengthened. Another
priority is dissuasive penalties for illegal trade and
smuggling of refrigerants throughout the European
Union (EU). Finally, a harmonized implementation of
the F-Gas Regulation across the EU remains essential to
reduce the risk of illegal trade. Experience has shown
it can be triggered, for example, if certain EU Member
States install taxes on HFCs and their neighbors don't.
Global Regulation Schedule Differences
All countries will eventually have to have a phasedown schedule
to comply with the Montreal Protocol goals, and each country has
a different HFC use profile. How much misalignment will there be
between countries and regions, and what are the potential risks
and impacts? Will these mismatches in regulations lead to a disorderly
transition between regions and countries?
Voigt: The phasedown schedule under the Kigali
Amendment merely provides the phasedown steps. It
is up to each country to determine how it will achieve
these phasedown steps. Many pillars can play a role in
that respect-from a phasedown based on a quota system
like in Europe, leakage prevention and recycling
requirements, all the way to certification and training
requirements, etc. Software modeling tools can help governments
(and industry) assess different scenarios and
https://www.ashrae.org/
ASHRAE Journal - June 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - June 2021
