Chiller Refrigerant Selection For Energy Efficiency

Chiller refrigerant such as R134a, R404a and R407C has risen in price by as much as 300% in recent times

The rise in cost of chiller refrigerant will have an impact on your budget and business decisions. Understanding what alternatives are available to you to suit your application and equipment is fundamental to sustainability and profit margins – enabling you to stay competitive in the marketplace.

Why have the costs risen?

The main reason for the increase is due to the phase-down of HFC refrigerants – the most crucial aspect of the F-Gas Regulation which will have a major influence on use of refrigerants in all end user markets. By 2030, only 21% of the quantity of HFC refrigerants that were sold in 2015 will be available. When choosing refrigerant for a new system, you must avoid very high Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants and, where possible, move to the ultra-low GWP options.

Ultra-low GWP chiller refrigerant

Recently introduced HFO refrigerants such as R-1234ze or R513A provide many advantages to higher GWP alternatives and are a more environmentally friendly alternative to R134a (GWP 1,430), when possible.

R-1234ze chiller refrigerant

• A very low GWP of 6
• An atmospheric life of just a few days
• Lower energy consumption than R290 and most natural HFC refrigerants
• Lower capacity than R134a
• More energy efficient

R513A chiller refrigerant

• A GWP of 631
• Low atmospheric life
• <1% difference in seasonal efficiency

Whether the most environmentally friendly or budget friendly solution is important to your business, there is an alternative to R134a, when appropriate. Watch our video to find out more about chiller refrigerants and find out more about our range of chillers which are suitable for R-1234ze and R513A here.