Industrial Refrigeration

Application: With 6.5% of emissions of key-source 2.F and 12% of the sub source

"Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning”, industrial refrigeration is one of the larger single sources. As in commercial refrigeration, numerous refrigerants are applied - with R-404A being the most important one, followed by HFC-134a. In industrial refrigeration, systems tend to be individual solutions even to a higher extent than in commercial refrigeration. Service is carried out by in-house staff, but also by external contractors and companies. As in commercial refrigeration, direct determination of annual input of new refrigerants is impossible due to sector heterogeneity.

Present monitoring approach: Based on empirical data, an in depth model for the HFC bank in its final state – analogous to the one in commercial refrigeration – has been developed (see UBA report 15/05). In the model, present refrigerating and freezing needs being satisfied by fluorinated refrigerants with and without chlorine are assumed stable in the medium-term. Based on this assumption, annual refrigerant consumption can be calculated by division of full bank by number of years of

equipment lifetime. "Discounts” resulting from the use of HCFC-22 in new equipment until 1997 are considered. Amounts for disposal correspond to the refrigerant input dating back one full equipment lifetime. Emission factors are taken from expert estimations and are part of the ZSE like the refrigerant model itself.

Future monitoring approach: Further-on in the future, emissions determination should be based on the refrigerant model of the final bank. Plans are to

systematically refine its components and render them more realistic. This should chiefly be done with the help of databank-based systems (e.g. EcoKlima, VDKF-LEC). As to UStatG, the same possibilities and restrictions have to be considered as in commercial refrigeration. Support of experts will be necessary in the future, too.

1.5. Stationary Air-Conditioning, Room Air-Conditioners, Heat Pumps Stationary air-conditioning accounts for 3.7% emissions of the sub source

"Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning", if room air-conditioners (0.5%) and heat pumps (0.1%) are included. Thus, less rigorous precision requirements need to be applied.

Nevertheless, data collection following tier 2 approaches (bottom up) is suggested also for the future.

1.5.1. Centralized AC Systems

Application: Air-conditioning systems in the performance range above 20 kW refrigerating capacity are used to provide comfortable temperatures in whole buildings or large rooms. Mainly central systems with refrigerant in the primary and water in the secondary cycle (chillers) are used; in the lower performance range also directly evaporating systems are common. The HFC-refrigerants are 407C and R-134a. Emissions occur during filling, from refrigerant banks and on disposal.

Present monitoring approach: Emissions calculation in ZSE is based on a

refrigerant model (Status: Early 2003) which splits AC systems into three classes of performance. Each category is associated with a particular compressor type:

Centrifugal compressor in the upper, screw compressor in the medium, and reciprocating or scroll compressor in the lower performance range. Typical

refrigerants and average HFC charges are assigned to each of the three categories.

The refrigerant model, which also contains equipment lifetimes, was jointly developed with sector experts. These experts annually estimate the number of newly installed equipment. After this number has been entered into ZSE where the refrigerant amounts are available as time series, emissions from filling, use, and disposal are calculated automatically, using the emission factors, likewise available in ZSE.

Future monitoring approach: Calculation of emissions should continue being based on expert estimations of the number of annually newly installed systems as well as on the ZSE refrigerant model, which needs to be updated by experts in the near future (2005/2006). In the medium term, the structure of the refrigerant bank can be refined with the help of databank-based systems. This applies also to the emission rates that are based on expert estimation up to now. UStatG is not qualified to provide specific data on emissions from air-conditioning systems.

1.5.2. Room Air-Conditioners

Application: Room air conditioners, which can be mobile, split, or multi-split devices, are used to produce comfortable temperatures inside individual living and working rooms or whole storeys. Equipment in the performance range below and slightly above 20 kW shows a strong increase in sales quantities. Equipment is not

manufactured at national level but is completely imported. Since 1998, R-407C and increasingly R-410A have been used as refrigerants instead of HCFC-22.

Present monitoring approach: As in central air conditioning, emissions calculation is based on a refrigerant model in ZSE. It embodies the ratio between 407C and 410A, the average refrigerant charges as well as lifetimes and emission factors for the device categories "mobile”, "split”, and "multi-split”. The number of newly sold systems by categories is estimated annually by experts on request and then entered into ZSE.

Future monitoring approach: In this area, databank systems can at most be used for (more or less complete) partial data collections even in the long-term, but the systems will never achieve full data coverage. Therefore, they are not considered superior to expert estimations of activity data. All importers of room air-conditioning systems (around 30) annually report their sales data to the trade magazine CCI.Print, which in turn informs the importers (only the importers!) about the overall sales

figures. This is why the importers have exact knowledge about size and structure of the market. They should be asked for estimations also in the future. With their support, also the refrigerant model can be updated periodically.

1.5.3. Heat Pumps

Application: By means of an electrically driven refrigeration cycle heat pumps produce useful heat from ambient heat. The refrigerant absorbs ambient heat of low temperature and changes it to heat of higher temperature. In this report, heat pumps, having an extremely low share in total F-gas emissions, are categorized sub air-conditioning equipment, because both systems are used to control room

temperature. (In principle, heat pumps can really be operated as air-conditioners).

Present monitoring approach: Emissions calculation is based on a refrigerant model developed with the help of sector experts. The model embodies for each of the four heat pump categories specific average refrigerant charges and the specific refrigerant type composition, in addition to equipment lifetimes and emission rates.

The number of newly installed systems at national level is published annually by the Federal Association Heat Pumps (BWP), broken down into the four categories: air, water, ground, and hot water. After entering of the BWP data into ZSE emissions are calculated automatically.

Future monitoring approach: The existing system is much more detailed than necessary to meet the precision requirements of a very small emission source that contributes just 0.1% to sub source emissions. Nevertheless, we recommend adhering to the existing system because the number of annually installed systems differentiated by four categories are collected and published anyway. The refrigerant model should be updated every 3-5 years with the support of sector experts. It is not yet clear if databank-based systems will be able to contribute to this task.