The F Gas Regulations were amongst the first attempts to regulate the use of ozone-depleting substances in the RAC industry and minimise their effects on the environment. Dan Radford, Managing Director at Parasense considers if and how these types of regulations succeed in what they set out to do.

F Gas regulations. R22 regulations. They are all supposed to help our industry manage and contain the fuels it uses and support environmental initiatives. The F Gas regulations have been in force for nearly three years now, so have they achieved what they set out to do? Undoubtedly. The use of F gases is now tightly regulated and companies have very strict guidelines to follow whether they handle, recover, supply, install, manufacture or own equipment containing HFC refrigerants. The stringent reporting requirements demanded by the EU make avoiding the regulations a risky enterprise.

That’s the good side. Is there a downside? Again, undoubtedly. It’s quite simply that the regulations focussed efforts on one type of gas and mask more overarching concerns. The fact is that many of the gases used in RAC systems are equally as harmful to the environment as HFCs regulated by the F Gas legislation. As the introduction of the R22 regulations demonstrates, you can regulate one part of the industry, but there are still concerns elsewhere that will need to be addressed at some point. In short, it means that companies have focussed their efforts on complying with F Gas regulations and aren’t looking at the bigger picture and considering how they can adapt their RAC systems to be more generally environmentally responsible.

A refrigerant leak detection system is a system that offers a multitude of benefits both in terms of meeting legislative requirements and being more environmentally responsible. A recent study by the EIA (environmental investigation agency) concluded that every year supermarkets alone release refrigerant gases into the atmosphere with equivalent emissions of you flying from New York to London 2.5million times.  This astounding statistic is a sobering thought at the best of times, but in these times of economic downturn and with companies trying to embrace a greener policy, it’s even more staggering. More to the point, with a good detection system leaks of this nature could be avoided or at the very least, drastically reduced.  And just as useful, especially at the moment, a good system can also protect you from the hidden costs of your RAC systems and make you more financially efficient.

An energy management and leak detection system will help you keep down costs in at least three different areas. Firstly, in the cost of replacing refrigerant. Refrigerant does not decrease of its own accord – it is only lost through a fault or leak in the equipment or charge pack. A leak in the system means money needs to be spent topping the system up (plus the cost in downtime of an engineer to go and do the work). Secondly, in the energy costs involved in running an inefficient or leaky system. A 15% drop in refrigerant charge leads to a 100% increase in energy – a huge figure at any time, let alone these financially constrained ones. Thirdly, in the potential loss of stock and therefore profits. If you have an equipment failure that leads, for example, to food spoilage, that food needs to be destroyed, affecting your profits. In short, having a system that can tell you where a leak is as soon as it happens has the potential to save a considerable amount of money. It can also be used to maximise the overall efficiency of your RAC system, saving money on a day-to-day basis too.

Of course, such a system will also help you feel more secure in your efforts towards protecting the environment by minimising the effects of leaks when they do happen. It will also help you comply with F Gas regulations by alerting engineers to leaks and keeping a record of refrigerant use.

Environmental legislation certainly has its place in regulating our industry. However, businesses need to be careful that they don’t become slaves to meeting the requirements. Instead, they need to look at the bigger picture because that doesn’t just offer environmental benefits, it also offers financial ones. A good leak detection system will help you to comply with the regulations, yes. It will also minimise the effects your RAC systems have on the environment and save you considerable time and money – something that’s always good news, especially at this time.

For more information on Parasense and their range of energy monitoring and leak detection equipment call 01452 724123 or email sales@parasense.co.uk