Free guide to refrigerants in building services

UK: The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and leading research body BSRIA have collaborated in the production of a free guide to the use of refrigerant gases in building services. 

The guide has been prepared to help consultants, specifiers, facilities and project managers, installers and end users deal with a period of considerable change for the industry as legislation and tightening environmental and performance targets combine to increase restrictions on how refrigerants are used and what gases will be allowed in the future. 

The new publication – Refrigerants in Building Services’ (TG 21/2022) – has been written by BESA’s head of technical Graeme Fox and includes information and advice on a range of topics including current and forthcoming changes to environmental and health and safety legislation, energy efficiency issues, commonly used refrigerants and applications. 

The two bodies were keen to work together to promote best practice across the sector and to fully explain the implications of stringent cuts to the use of HFCs and other bans as part of proposals to strengthen the European F-Gas regulation. 

The UK continues to mirror the European regulation, despite its departure from the EU, and the latest proposals from the European Commission include an acceleration of the current phase down process in 2024. This could be followed by a ban on the use of HFCs with GWP of 150 and above in many split systems and heat pumps from 2027. 

“The timing of this guide is crucial,” said Fox. “There is so much change going on in the industry and there is a danger that people will be bamboozled by all the current and proposed legislative changes. If people are confused, they can end up simply ignoring their obligations with extremely unfortunate consequences.”

The guide can be viewed and downloaded here.