Earthcare Products Limited recently completed a project for delivering R290 wall and cassette split systems as well as air-cooled water chillers to a Chinese R&D centre. hydrocarbons21.com talked to Managing Director Nicholas Cox about the project, the new inverter technology used and general refrigeration trends in China.
hydrocarbons21.com: You have recently returned from China, where you have successfully delivered several HVAC units using R290. What type of units were these and what were they intended for?
Cox: We supplied the following units:
hydrocarbons21.com: Will the hydrocarbon units cater for the total heating and cooling needs of the facility? If not, are there further deliveries foreseen in the near future for the facility?
Cox: This represents the total air conditioning and process cooling requirements for the current project but we foresee repeat business opportunities as the facility expands and develops.
hydrocarbons21.com: The R290 chillers you delivered make use of inverter technology, a new development for chillers using hydrocarbons. What are the expected benefits of this technology in terms of energy efficiency, system cost and payback period for the R290 chillers?
Cox: R290 Mini Chillers using Inverter technology allow us to compete head to head with HFC VRF systems but we have the huge benefit that our energy savings remain constant whereas the efficiency of VRF systems decline with refrigerant leakage. If we were able to achieve the same economies of scale then we could provide R290 Mini Chillers, fan coils and plastic water pipe for the same price as VRF systems and associated refrigeration pipework.
hydrocarbons21.com: What other technical novelties do the systems encompass? Did you consider the use of microchannel heat exchangers for example or is this something for your future plans?
Cox: We were able to achieve low refrigerant charges without microchannel heat exchangers. Our split systems used only 440 to 600 grams of refrigerant and our chillers 1.2 KGs per circuit. However we do plan to adopt microchannel technology for our larger chillers.
hydrocarbons21.com: Have there been any major difficulties you have encountered so far in the context of this project?
Cox: As ever the problems involved product certification, low volume production and extended delivery dates. Chinese CCC certification is similar to our CE marking. Importing into China caused some issues, particularly for the flammable refrigerant.
hydrocarbons21.com: Were there any aspects that were handled more smoothly in China when compared to similar projects carried out for example in Europe? What lessons can be learnt from your experience in China?
Cox: The whole process was remarkably similar to when we first introduced the technology in the UK 15 years ago. It’s a case of identifying the smaller entrepreneurial players rather than the mass producers.
hydrocarbons21.com: On this project, you are working together with a certified local installer in China. Was it a difficult task to identify an installer equipped with the necessary know-how and tools for carrying out a project with hydrocarbon and therefore flammable refrigerants?
Cox: The installer was nominated by the client and was very keen to work with us as they see a huge growth potential providing a similar service to the growing international PLC community which is still expanding in China despite the recession in other global regions.
hydrocarbons21.com: Was Earthcare involved in the training of the installer?
Cox: Yes, the installer already had all of the necessary basic skills so it was simply a case of carefully explaining the additional safety requirements. Although there was something of a language barrier at the technician level, all the professional engineers seem to have very good technical English.
hydrocarbons21.com: This project is a perfect example confirming the timely opportunity to leapfrog climate burdening HFC refrigerants in developing countries and the availability of cutting-edge non-fluorocarbon technologies to replace them.
Cox: Yes, and this could lead to “genuine” carbon trading opportunities rather than “scam” ones created by increasing ozone deleting chemical manufacture. We are actively looking for a project that could displace at least 30,000 kg of R22 or R410A. This could generate about £1/3m in carbon credits. However, we do not yet understand the actual practical, physical steps that we need to take - particularly the administrative ones - to get a carbon credit project underway in China. I am currently investigating this in greater detail.
hydrocarbons21.com: Does China in particular have to come a long way to get there in so far as hydrocarbon technology is involved? Have you seen progress in the last years and what further needs to be done to accelerate the process of diffusing natural refrigerants in the country?
Cox: China is currently 15 years behind in commercial (i.e. non domestic) hydrocarbon technology, but it won’t take them 15 years to catch up! The Chinese market offers considerable scope for the export of consultancy services to refrigeration and air conditioning manufacturers seeking to cut their production costs, improve the energy efficiency of their products, and add value to their products by incorporating environmentally friendly features.
hydrocarbons21.com: How does the project fit to overall commitments to phase down chemicals that harm the ozone layer or cause global warming?
Cox: Outside of the EU, Earthcare has worked in Korea, Panama, and now China. There is no excuse for any global company to say that they still need ozone depleting or global warming refrigerants – on the contrary, we can now demonstrate a very clear correlation between the total environmental warming impact (as a result of refrigerant and energy used), and the ‘cost to the business’ it represents (expressed as a Net Present Value of its capital and running costs). The better equipment is for the environment, the better it is for the purchaser’s long term profits.
hydrocarbons21.com: Are there any more deliveries of hydrocarbon units by Earthcare in the pipeline for other facilities worldwide?
Cox: We have recently been specified for a very exciting new build project including 4 x 800kW water cooled plant room R290 chillers with COPs in excess of 5! Further details will be released in due course.
Cox: We supplied the following units:
- 2 x 3.5Kw Wall split systems
- 8 x 3.5Kw Cassette split systems
- 3 x 5.5Kw Cassette split systems
- 3 x 12.5Kw air cooled water chillers
- 2 x 38Kw air cooled water chillers
hydrocarbons21.com: Will the hydrocarbon units cater for the total heating and cooling needs of the facility? If not, are there further deliveries foreseen in the near future for the facility?
Cox: This represents the total air conditioning and process cooling requirements for the current project but we foresee repeat business opportunities as the facility expands and develops.
hydrocarbons21.com: The R290 chillers you delivered make use of inverter technology, a new development for chillers using hydrocarbons. What are the expected benefits of this technology in terms of energy efficiency, system cost and payback period for the R290 chillers?
Cox: R290 Mini Chillers using Inverter technology allow us to compete head to head with HFC VRF systems but we have the huge benefit that our energy savings remain constant whereas the efficiency of VRF systems decline with refrigerant leakage. If we were able to achieve the same economies of scale then we could provide R290 Mini Chillers, fan coils and plastic water pipe for the same price as VRF systems and associated refrigeration pipework.
hydrocarbons21.com: What other technical novelties do the systems encompass? Did you consider the use of microchannel heat exchangers for example or is this something for your future plans?
Cox: We were able to achieve low refrigerant charges without microchannel heat exchangers. Our split systems used only 440 to 600 grams of refrigerant and our chillers 1.2 KGs per circuit. However we do plan to adopt microchannel technology for our larger chillers.
hydrocarbons21.com: Have there been any major difficulties you have encountered so far in the context of this project?
Cox: As ever the problems involved product certification, low volume production and extended delivery dates. Chinese CCC certification is similar to our CE marking. Importing into China caused some issues, particularly for the flammable refrigerant.
hydrocarbons21.com: Were there any aspects that were handled more smoothly in China when compared to similar projects carried out for example in Europe? What lessons can be learnt from your experience in China?
Cox: The whole process was remarkably similar to when we first introduced the technology in the UK 15 years ago. It’s a case of identifying the smaller entrepreneurial players rather than the mass producers.
hydrocarbons21.com: On this project, you are working together with a certified local installer in China. Was it a difficult task to identify an installer equipped with the necessary know-how and tools for carrying out a project with hydrocarbon and therefore flammable refrigerants?
Cox: The installer was nominated by the client and was very keen to work with us as they see a huge growth potential providing a similar service to the growing international PLC community which is still expanding in China despite the recession in other global regions.
hydrocarbons21.com: Was Earthcare involved in the training of the installer?
Cox: Yes, the installer already had all of the necessary basic skills so it was simply a case of carefully explaining the additional safety requirements. Although there was something of a language barrier at the technician level, all the professional engineers seem to have very good technical English.
hydrocarbons21.com: This project is a perfect example confirming the timely opportunity to leapfrog climate burdening HFC refrigerants in developing countries and the availability of cutting-edge non-fluorocarbon technologies to replace them.
Cox: Yes, and this could lead to “genuine” carbon trading opportunities rather than “scam” ones created by increasing ozone deleting chemical manufacture. We are actively looking for a project that could displace at least 30,000 kg of R22 or R410A. This could generate about £1/3m in carbon credits. However, we do not yet understand the actual practical, physical steps that we need to take - particularly the administrative ones - to get a carbon credit project underway in China. I am currently investigating this in greater detail.
hydrocarbons21.com: Does China in particular have to come a long way to get there in so far as hydrocarbon technology is involved? Have you seen progress in the last years and what further needs to be done to accelerate the process of diffusing natural refrigerants in the country?
Cox: China is currently 15 years behind in commercial (i.e. non domestic) hydrocarbon technology, but it won’t take them 15 years to catch up! The Chinese market offers considerable scope for the export of consultancy services to refrigeration and air conditioning manufacturers seeking to cut their production costs, improve the energy efficiency of their products, and add value to their products by incorporating environmentally friendly features.
hydrocarbons21.com: How does the project fit to overall commitments to phase down chemicals that harm the ozone layer or cause global warming?
Cox: Outside of the EU, Earthcare has worked in Korea, Panama, and now China. There is no excuse for any global company to say that they still need ozone depleting or global warming refrigerants – on the contrary, we can now demonstrate a very clear correlation between the total environmental warming impact (as a result of refrigerant and energy used), and the ‘cost to the business’ it represents (expressed as a Net Present Value of its capital and running costs). The better equipment is for the environment, the better it is for the purchaser’s long term profits.
hydrocarbons21.com: Are there any more deliveries of hydrocarbon units by Earthcare in the pipeline for other facilities worldwide?
Cox: We have recently been specified for a very exciting new build project including 4 x 800kW water cooled plant room R290 chillers with COPs in excess of 5! Further details will be released in due course.
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Nov 10, 2010, 11:52
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