Germany seeks public procurement ban on VRF
6th November 2024
GERMANY: The German government proposal to ban the public procurement of multi-split/VRF air conditioning systems has been met with criticism by the industry.
The draft bill presented by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) contains specifications for public procurement procedures and a negative list of products that may not be procured for environmental reasons.
These include multisplit/VRF air conditioning units with more than 10kW cooling capacity, liquid coolers with more than 10kW of nominal cooling capacity containing refrigerant with a GWP of over 150 and cooling and freezing devices and other stationary and mobile cooling and air conditioning systems with halogenated refrigerants.
In a statement, the German contractors group VDKF, technical building equipment group BTGA and the specialist association for building climate FGK, point out that a ban on the procurement of multisplit/VRF systems does not do justice to the high energy efficiency of the systems.
The associations’ maintain that the general administrative regulation (AVV) contradicts the overarching political goals of energy efficiency and sustainability.
“In fact, the goal formulated in the AVV – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – is not supported by the ban on multisplit/VRF units, but rather hindered, because products with lower energy efficiency may have to be procured,” a statement from the groups says.
They also point out that, in addition, today’s multisplit/VRF air conditioning systems do not only provide cooling. “They are also efficient and cost-effective heat pumps and are therefore an essential element in achieving climate protection goals in the building sector.”
Claiming that a sole focus on cooling operation is far too short-sighted, the groups add: “These systems are subject to the highest efficiency requirements of the Ecodesign directive, which is why they have excellent efficiencies in heating and cooling operation.
“These can hardly be achieved at system level by water-based systems of the same size. Conversions and retrofitting of the performance range of these products to water-based systems are hardly feasible from an economic perspective and contradict the goals of sustainability.”
