Energy efficient Refrigerant

                        

Energy efficient Refrigerant 

                        
                           Air conditioners transfer heat while circulating refrigerant between the indoor and outdoor units. Although there are various types of refrigerants,                  R-32(Difluoromethane, HFC-32) is a new refrigerant currently receiving the most interest.

                       Because R-32 efficiently conveys heat, it can reduce electricity consumption up to approximately 10% compared to that of air conditioners using refrigerant R-22. Furthermore, compared to the refrigerants widely used today such as R-22 and R-410A, R-32 has a global warming potential (GWP) that is one-third lower and is remarkable for its low environmental impact. Mainstream refrigerant R-410A has an ozone depletion potential (ODP) of 0, its global warming potential (GWP) still remains an issue. While R-32 also has an ozone depletion potential of 0, the refrigerant has only approximately 1/3 of the GWP of R-410A. Consequently, investigation of this promising next generation refrigerant has increased. However, because R-32 had been an extremely difficult refrigerant to handle, its use was not practical until now. Daikin became the world’s first company to succeed in applying R-32 to air conditioners by leveraging its expertise as the only manufacturer that develops and manufactures both air conditioners and refrigerants.

                        

                 
                 Currently, R-410A is the refrigerant most commonly used in developed countries. However, if all R-410A were converted to R-32, the impact to global warming from HFCs in 2030 would be reduced by the CO₂ equivalent of approximately 800 million tons (19%) compared to the continued use of R-410A.

                                            
According to new research by the Indian Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), companies marketing air conditioners with low GWP refrigerants could be at a competitive advantage. Daikin is producing air conditioners with R32 and is reporting sales of 150,000 units in India since introduction in 2013 and 3,000,000 units sold worldwide. Indian manufacturer Godrej & Boyce is leading the way on production of air conditioners using the hydrocarbon refrigerant R290 (propane), reporting sales of 100,000 units.

                                                     Refrigerants produced with alternate refrigerants such as HFC-32 and HC-290 can be more energy efficient, says the CEEW report, especially at high ambient temperatures such as in India. A Godrej R290 air conditioner has received a five-star energy-efficiency rating – the highest available rating award by India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). In 2012, the Daikin R32 room air conditioner earned the grand prize for excellence in energy efficiency and conservation in Japan as the most energy efficient device of its class on the market.