n Refrigeration
As the world is decarbonising, taking a look at inefficiencies within the use of refrigerants is one way the industry may be able to reduce our carbon footprint. By Greg Scrivener
I
t has been almost exactly one decade since I had my first article published in Plumbing & HVAC magazine. It was the first in a three-part series on “Refrigeration from Heat.” To celebrate this anniversary, instead of revisiting the topic, I thought it would be fitting to flip it around and start 2022 off with a series on “Heat from Refrigeration.” We are witnessing a slow revolution and it can be summarized by one word— decarbonisation. Depending on the context, decarbonisation can mean several different things (including removing fizz from your
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Plumbing & HVAC – January/February 2022
pop according to my daughter). For our purposes, it is simply the act of reducing the amount of carbon dioxide humans release into the atmosphere for the purpose of reducing the impact to climate change.
A decarbonising world China has released a plan that would see massive decreases in carbon emissions over the next five years, reaching peak emissions in 2030 (with an economy that is growing, this is a reduction of carbon/GDP), and carbon neutrality in 2060. Much of Europe has been moving along this path for a long time. In North America, we are learning to live with carbon taxes and increasing commitments to reach reduction targets. If you are wondering what this has to do
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