Domestic air conditioning: changes to regulations on hydrocarbons
The revised safety standard proposed by the International Electronic Commission (IEC) has been greeted favourably by members of the HVAC sector. The new regulation permits the use of larger quantities of low GWP flammable refrigerants in domestic air conditioning and dehumidification units.  This important change will gradually be extended to the entire domestic air conditioning sector.
The standard in question is called IEC 60335-2-40 and regards the safety of air conditioners, electric heat pumps, heat pumps for domestic boilers, dehumidifiers fitted with motor-compressors and hydronic fan coil units. This new regulation is expected to be a key factor in the increased take-up of low environmental impact solutions such as hydrocarbons, so it is currently receiving a lot of attention.
What will change with the IEC 60335-2-40 standard
The revision of this standard allows for the use of greater loads if additional mitigating measures, such as refrigerant sensors and circulation fans, are present. Furthermore, it introduces a new method for the calculation of maximum loads, taking into account design features which prevent the leaking of fluid.
According to the modifications introduced, a standard split system air conditioner unit can now contain up to 988g of R290 (propane). Although this might not seem a significant change for larger spaces, it is interesting to note that the new calculation system also allows larger loads in smaller environments.
This provides opportunities to use hydrocarbons in a wider range of air conditioning equipment and heat pumps. As a result, there will be a tangible reduction in direct atmospheric emissions produced by domestic air conditioning, compared to R410A based systems.
Towards more sustainable domestic air conditioning
The points mentioned above are supported by the fact that while propane has a GWP of 3, R32 has a GWP of 675 and the figure for R410A is as high as 2,088. In other words, it can be argued that the use of R290 can reduce direct atmospheric emissions many thousand times over.
Regarding indirect emissions however, many experts have emphasised the potential advantages of switching to hydrocarbons in terms of energy efficiency. It has in fact been estimated that the widespread use of these refrigerants in air conditioning units and heat pumps by 2025 would reduce emissions by over 5 billion tonnes of CO2 by 2050.
The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has always been in favour of adopting hydrocarbons for air conditioning and has declared that it is satisfied with the new standard. Its representatives have pointed to this important milestone as the first step towards a clean, sustainable and zero emissions HVAC industry.
The EIA has also voiced its concern over synthetic alternatives to HFCs, which are still widely used today. Despite their low GWP compared to natural equivalents, they still pose a threat to the environment, as toxic chemical substances can be produced during the production process.
As a consequence, representatives of that agency have been urging the European Parliament and Member States to view the new IEC 60335-2-40 standard and hydrocarbons as the best option for domestic air conditioning. The objective is to encourage manufacturers to abandon HFCs and HFOs once and for all as soon as possible.
The new regulation was officially published last June 24th and it is now up to individual governments to integrate it into safety standards at regional and national level, by incorporating it in building regulations. Now, all that remains is to wait and see how the air conditioning market evolves in the coming years.
