Carbon dioxide

The air conditioning industry is facing a huge step-change in the next few years.

Space Engineering has launched a new CO₂-based integrated refrigeration system which is said to offer the possibility of impressive energy and financial savings for convenience stores.

Fluorocarbon refrigerants are synthetic chemicals which usually have a high global warming potential, and some still have the potential to cause damage to the ozone layer as well if released to the atmosphere.

The European Commission is to refer Germany to the Court of Justice of the EU for its failure to apply the MAC Directive.

New initiatives on reducing the consumption of HFC refrigerants are expected to save the emission of more than 1 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2025.

Upgrading all existing room air conditioners to highest efficiency units, combined with the transition to lower GWP refrigerants, could save 25 gigatons of CO₂ equivalents by 2030.

A Tegut store employing CO₂ refrigeration, cabinet doors and LED lighting is the first supermarket to be recognised with an environmental Blue Angel award.

Swedish retailer ICA Gruppen has achieved the 30% CO₂ reduction target it set in 2006, six years ahead of schedule.

The EU is turning its energy spotlight on European airports in a bid to reduce their HVAC energy needs and carbon emissions.

By January 1, 2017 all new car models Acs must be charged with a low GWP refrigerant. The main contenders in this category at the moment are working substances CO₂ and R1234yf.

The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of Germany made a statement about the continued development of transport air-conditioning systems based on the natural refrigerant CO₂ instead of using doubtful  alternative R1234yf.