Greenpeace – Cool Technologies: Working without HFC’s -2010

Examples of HFC-Free, Cooling Technologies in Various Industrial Sectors:

Prepared by: Janos Maté, Greenpeace Internationalwith Claudette Papathanasopoulos, Greenpeace USA.

Just as there was no single “magic bullet” to replace CFCs, there is no single solution to replace HCFCs. But there is a wide variety of environmentally superior and technologically proven HCFC and HFC-free technologies to meet our cooling needs. Alternatives include natural refrigerants (CO2, hydrocarbons, ammonia, water); secondary cooling systems; desiccant cooling;evaporative cooling, absorption cooling; and innovative building designs that eliminate the need for mechanical cooling. The following sampling of companies and enterprises using HFC-free technologies is provided todemonstrate that there is already a wide array of safe and commercially proven HFC-free technologies available to meet nearly all those human needs that were formerly met by fluorocarbons;

Examples of companies using cooling equipment working with hydrocarbons and CO2 natural refrigerants:

The UK company Waitrose currently has seven stores using propane based refrigeration technology. The company plans to install propane refrigeration in all new and retrofitted stores, so that by 2020 all Waitrose stores will be HFC-free. The company estimates that the propane refrigeration technology will reduce its carbon footprint by 20%. The system is based on a combination of high efficiency air-cooled chillers supplied byKlima-therm and manufactured by Geoclima that utilise R290 propane and uses water as the condensing medium to supply the Carter Retail Equipment integrated cabinets operating on R1270 propene hydrocarbon-based scroll compressors. It makes use of split coils to keep the propene charge under 400 grams, together with LPA Liquid Pressure Amplification and floating head pressure and conventional free cooling below 18°C. The system design allows for the harnessing of heat from the integral refrigeration units to deliver warmth into the space between cabinets, in order to offset the in store“cold aisle” effect. This helps boost efficiency and overcomes the need for a separate heating system.

Download full document: COOLING-WITHOUT-HFCs-June-2010-Edition (2Mb)