Bad air day

It kicked-off in March, when Prescott unveiled the UK's blueprint for meeting emissions targets agreed at the Kyoto Summit. All was fine at first. He declared that UK will "cut its greenhouse emissions by 21·5%". A bold statement, but one widely expected and, indeed, respected by most industry commentators.

Then came a bombshell of Miltonic proportion, as Prescott turned all his guns on the air conditioning industry. He announced: "a clear signal to industry that hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) have no long-term future. For the meantime they should only be used where there are no safe, cost-effective, practical and environmentally acceptable alternatives".

Ouch. HVAC specialists had not for one moment expected this. And the small print did less than nothing to cheer them up. "The government has considered policies that could be used to reduce HFC emissions…reviewed the existing voluntary agreements with HFCs users…(and decided…) that the voluntary agreements would not deliver significant reductions in emissions in the short and medium term."

In other words, the government has snubbed the whole concept of HFCs, even where stringent safety measures are taken and rejected the voluntary agreements with industry chiefs.

Environmental groups, including Greenpeace, have broadly welcomed the proposal, and it can be reasonably assumed that Prescott has achieved his main political objective – to court potential green voters. But the offence his announcement has caused in the hvac world can scarcely be overstated.

The Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board (ACRIB) is up in arms. Its splenetic webpage fumed: "Why has the government changed its policy on HFCs? Why haven't ministers consulted us? We are vigorously opposing the Government's aim to see off HFCs and members are furious at the lack of consultation within the industry."

It even went so far as to condemn the government's doctrinaire policy shift and accused it of "kicking the industry in the face".

Chairman David Snow continued: "The government says that HFCs have no long-term future, but on what expert advice do they base their findings?"

He also confirmed that his determined efforts to talk to environment minister, Michael Meacher, were "ignored".

Meanwhile, Richard Alger, ACRIB's energy and the environment committee chairman was equally indignant. He said: "This change has been thrown at us without notice; the original consultation paper gave no hint of this, and we are disappointed, to put it mildly.

"The government has turned its back on the declaration of the intent on the use of HFCs, which it jointly agreed with the refrigeration and air conditioning industry."

Alger quoted two sentences: "The UK government agrees with industry that HFCs are considered essential alternatives to CFCs and HCFCs in certain applications.

"The UK government confirms that there is no plan to ban the production or use of HFCs to meet its early commitments."

ACRIB accepts the government's old stance on the "responsible use of HFCs" but is incensed at the new statement which, it claims, represents an ideological position rather than one "which has a sound scientific or technical basis".

Alger points out that Denmark is the only other country to suggest that the use of HFCs is not sustainable, and in following that line, the British Government is making itself look foolish, and will only antagonise other EU member states, as well as the USA.

He added: "It is important to point out that HFCs are not a 'technology' as stated, but are used in many technologies in a wide variety of applications.

"Thus, their use directly contributes to reduced carbon emissions, and in many cases aid efficient energy usage. These, after all, represent the overall purpose of the UK's Climate Change Programme."

ACRIB is not the only organisation clamouring at the Government's volte-face. The HVCA Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) Group's rhetoric is less impassioned, but the message is fervently anti-Prescott.

It declares: "To propose a change of policy at a time when HCFCs are being phased out seems calculated to cause uncertainty and to undermine the considerable investment already made – principally by the manufacturers – in the development of viable HFC-based equipment."

Moreover, HVCA spokesman John Asprey stresses that it is "perfectly possible" to design leak proof refrigeration systems – "in which circumstances, HFCs compare favourably with other refrigerant systems in terms of global warming potential."

"It would therefore seem more profitable for government to direct its energies towards ensuring the containment of refrigerants within systems," said Asprey.

"Legislation already restricts the deliberate venting to atmosphere of ozone-depleting refrigerants and places a duty of care on users and contractors to minimise refrigerant leaks.

"If the present very low level of enforcement of such regulations was significantly stepped up – and extended to include all refrigerants – we believe that a considerable reduction in emissions might be achieved."

He stresses also that HFCs are extremely efficient in terms of total equivalent warming impact. Of the available replacements for both CFCs and HCFCs, HFCs offer the highest thermodynamic efficiency.

"Their use, therefore, minimises potential emission of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases," added Asprey.

It is, of course, not surprising that representatives of the industry should have taken such umbrage at Prescott's pugnacious announcement. But even objective commentators are sympathising with Asprey and his ilk.

For example, a BSRIA spokesman guardedly said: "The industry is right to be annoyed at this shift in the goal posts. It's true that there are alternatives to HFCs. But it's going to take a long time for people to adapt to new technology. HFCs will have to do for now. The government needs to exercise a bit of give and take."

But, while the jowly one is lashed by most refrigerant experts, he'll be pleased to know there's at least one person offering a warm hand.

Nicholas Cox is managing director of Earthcare Products – a company specialising in refrigeration products, which avoid HFCs at all cost.

He said: "I must be the 1% of the industry that is not opposed to the government's new policy. It is the right one."

He pours cold water over the HVCA viewpoint that HFC's are OK providing they are securely installed.

"You could have said that about CFCs. It's the same argument. There's been no improvement in technology. It's the same old problem with a different chemical," said Cox.

He argues there are many chiller alternatives to HFCs and is a particular advocate for hydrocarbon refrigerants, which he claims are more energy efficient than HFC-based systems and "completely ozone-friendly".

"They occur naturally in the environment – from such diverse places as stagnant bogs and cows' bottoms!" he revealed.

But, although hydrocarbons are not doing any environmental damage, they are highly flammable and many are extremely nervous about using them on a large scale.

Cox admits hydrocarbons need to be used with care, kept away from ignition and made "spark-proof".

These systems are more expensive as sales volumes are so much lower. And the safety factor means that even Cox concedes: "You wouldn't do Canary Wharf on hydrocarbons!"

Another alternative to HFCs is ammonia, which, although still very unfashionable in the UK, has made friends in unlikely places. According to Greenpeace, Sainsbury's once announced: "it is madness to suggest that a modern supermarket might equip with ammonia". Eighteen months later, the retailer installed an ammonia based secondary cooling system in a new superstore, near Horsham.

But it's unlikely that HFCs will lie down and die. Figures from BSRIA are unlikely to bring a smile to Mr Prescott's mordant features. They reveal the most startling figure of all – that 90% of mini-splits are HCFC-22. The implication is that people are only slowly getting used to the idea HFCs – at the very time the government says it won't tolerate them.

Small wonder then that BSRIA says that installers still have anxieties about dealing with new refrigerants and oils. It seems government, industry, end-user, environmentalist, everyone, is in a horrible state of confusion regarding the future of air conditioning. Perhaps installers should just open the window until it's sorted out.