Optimizing refrigerant charge has always been a key part of designing cooling systems and balancing their efficiency, reliability, performance, and cost. But recently, that balance has shifted, and refrigeration engineers are once again looking at refrigerant as a key piece of the puzzle.
There are two main reasons for this.
First, refrigerant prices are rapidly increasing in certain parts of the world. This is largely driven by dwindling supplies as traditional options are phased down under European F-Gas regulations, and other measures to limit the production of greenhouse gases under the Kyoto, Montreal, and Kigali protocols.
As a result, some refrigerants — such as R-404A — have risen in price by more than 500 percent in Europe since 2017.
Where once refrigerant may have been a relatively minor cost compared to a system’s components, now the charge has a far larger impact on its overall production and installation price – making every saving valuable.
Second, the move to reduce GWP has resulted in the growing use of flammable alternatives. In such cases, having less refrigerant charge materially increases the number of applications where a system can legally and safely be used.
So, in the current climate, reducing refrigerant charge is a key part of gaining competitive advantage — for manufacturers and installers alike — satisfying end users, and maintaining profitability.
