The 2013 Institute of Refrigeration (IoR) Annual Conference ‘REAL Zero 2013 and beyond: containment, efficiency and alternative refrigerants. Strategies and priorities for future proofing the industry’ took place on the 2nd December 2013 in London. In a paper presented at the 2013 conference, Jane Gartshore from Cool Concerns Ltd looked at the impact of Real Zero and the lessons that the industry has learned. Real Zero highlighted the scale and impact of leakage and raised the importance of leak reduction within the RAC industry. Part of its success has been in the branding of leakage reduction – from “Real Zero caps” for Schrader valves to a “Real Zero installation”. It has raised the profile of leakage and increased awareness.This paper discusses the lessons we learned and those we should have learned. Leakage has always been an issue for the RAC industry and leakage issues have not fundamentally changed for decades. Leakage is why we had to change from ozone depleting refrigerants and why we are now facing a potential phase out of F Gas refrigerants. Historically leakage issues have evolved from CFCs to HCFCs to HFCs. In some cases leakage has been exacerbated by retrofitting systems, for example by the effect of the conversion process itself on seals and gaskets. Many CFC and HCFC systems have been converted and little was done to repair leakage – reducing the ODP of the refrigerant was the sole aim. The aim of Real Zero was to provide the resource to enable a fundamental change of attitude to one which prioritises leak reduction –whatever the refrigerant Thepresentations Working towards Real Zero Refrigerant loss, system efficiency and reliability Refrigerant loss, system efficiency and reliability presentation Back to basics: understanding directand indirect emissions Back to basics: understanding direct and indirect emissions presentation Refrigerant emissions and leakage blended learning for alternatives refrigerants in new equipment LEC Leakage & energy control system [ΠΗΓΗ: http://www.ior.org.uk/] |