The subject of replacement of R22 and other HCFC refrigerants has been bounced around for some time and to a degree pushed aside due to other industry issues. The importance of focussing on this now is critical for anyone serious in our industry who wants to remain in business and be in a position to supply the right product to environmentally aware customers at a price they can afford.

The Ozone Depleting Substances Regulation (ODS) was enforced in 2000. HCFCs were banned in all new equipment by January 2004.

So what is so critical now ? It will be illegal to use virgin HCFCs for maintenance and servicing of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment at the end of 2009. The cost of the refrigerant in the meantime is clear to accelerate fast whilst stock diminishes due to the impending ban on all HCFCs at the end of 2014, including reclaimed and recycled products.

In the UK alone it is estimated that over 100,000 systems have been installed based on R22 refrigerant. The issue is clearly something that needs to be addressed.

Apart from the obvious environmental issues that we are all responsible for, and the regulation issues surrounding this subject there are other very good reasons why you should be looking at other, smarter solutions.

Older air conditioning systems contain older components. These at the time of manufacture were considered efficient, however with manufacturers continuous investment in r & d technology and innovation quickly evolves. New products are released containing enhanced new components, the result is more innovative, energy efficient technology resulting in new air conditioning systems that operate more effectively and utilise less energy.

In addition to the regulations, the steep increase in end users power bills has placed energy consumption and running costs at to the top of the users issues when deciding who to place their order with. Buildings owned by Government and local authorities from April this year are obliged to display an Energy Performance Certificate rating the building on energy usage. The objective is clearly to encourage and make people aware of best practice and maintenance and demonstrate responsibility to environmental issues.

Toshiba have carried out a comprehensive cost comparison running an old R22 split system compared to a new R410A system with overwhelming results.

The comparison was based on a system in Manchester that is the only source of cooling and heating in the building. The system was in operation for 18 hours per day, 7 days a week and operated 364 days a year. The cost used was based on 9.5 pence per kWH.

The system comparison was based on a contractor installing two new Toshiba ceiling cassette systems model SM1403 on to an existing R22 installation system utilising the old pipework.

The cost for the supply and installation of all the equipment was £4875. Whereas stripping out the existing services and replacing with new, the same two new cassettes would have cost £7800.

Calculations were then done to determine the power consumption comparisons between the new systems and the old R22 system. The daily power consumption for both systems were then calculated for hour by your, and day by day from January through to December taking into consideration the ambient conditions to get an actual power consumption. The R22 fixed speed systems cost an average of over £11 per day in January whereas the new R410A Digital Inverter system was only a little over £4.

Toshiba also analysed the payback period from 2008 to 2015 to coincide not only with the phase out of R22 but also the current refurbishment programme in place with this particular end user. The result showed that within two years the cost of supplying and installing the DI3 replacement technology had been recovered and from 2011 through to 2015 the end user would actually be in profit from the installation. Even taking into account the cost of a full new installation should the pipework have had to have been replaced, the payback is significant in the fourth year at 14% steadily increasing to a very impressive predicted saving of 59% by 2015.

The Enhanced Capital Allowance is another aspect that should be considered, ensure all systems are eligible.

Toshiba’s conclusion and advice to all industry professionals is take the environmental route, analyse the alternatives and either replace the technology or the system now. By reacting today and replacing inefficient R22 systems with replacement technology not only would there be significant energy savings, ongoing service and maintenance costs would also be reduced as well as improving the reliability of the system. It is also worth noting that the Toshiba Digital inverter system which is pre-charged for 30m comes shipped with less thean 3 kg of R410A refrigerant within the system, this makes it exempt from the annual refrigerant requirements under the new F-Gas directive. Most other systems have around 5kg of refrigerant within the system.

So the overall message from Toshiba is don’t risk disappointing and potentially loosing customers, keep ahead of the regulations before they are imposed, the costs of R22 significantly increased and the supply levels dissolve.

For details of Toshiba’s energy efficient systems and technologies call: 0870 843 0333 or email: Marketing.uk@toshiba-ac.com