Carrier UK supplies first R515B chiller
9th September 2021
UK: One of the first Carrier AquaForce chillers using the new non-flammable lower GWP refrigerant R515B has been installed in the UK.
Principal contractor SPIE UK specified two high-efficiency Carrier AquaForce 30XW-VZE variable-speed screw chillers on the new refrigerant for installation in a customer’s facility, a leading art gallery.
R515B is a blend of R1234ze with the addition of 8.9% of R227ea (8.9%) to make it non-flammable and give it a GWP of 293. It is said to have zero glide and combines low discharge temperatures with an efficiency to match R134a.
As an A1 refrigerant, R515B does not require additional safety measures in the plant room. This reduces upfront capital costs while leaving the option to convert the chiller and plant room at a later date without any loss of performance.
Use of R515B rates high under the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) certification process, boosting the environmental rating of buildings assessed under the scheme.
“A key factor influencing equipment choice was that the Carrier chillers can be retrofitted to operate on the ultra-low GWP refrigerant R1234ze, which has a GWP of less than 1, if this becomes necessary in the future,” said Andy Whitehead, SPIE senior project manager who headed up the project. “This effectively future-proofs the installation and gives total reassurance to the client.”
The equipment switch-out was carefully managed to ensure continuity of cooling to the gallery, with the two existing chillers replaced in stepped sequence, maintaining stable environmental conditions throughout for the gallery’s works of art.
Related stories:
Carrier adopts lower GWP refrigerant R515B – 18 January 2021
EUROPE: Carrier has become one of the first manufacturers to adopt the lower GWP A1 refrigerant R515B in its water-cooled chillers and heat pumps. Read more…
