Switzerland has just announced its strengthened national F-Gas policy. Ahead of its official publication, a representative from the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment provided an exclusive preview of the new regulation to the 200 ATMOsphere Europe 2012 conference participants in Brussels, Belgium. The new regulation will be introducing HFC bans in a series of air-conditioning and refrigeration applications as of 1 December 2013.
The policy session at the ATMOsphere Europe conference in Brussels, 5-7 November 2012 featured high-level speakers from the European Commission as well as regulators from European countries, namely Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, giving an update and perspectives on EU and national policies that encourage the transition towards HFC-free HVAC&R technologies.
The revised Swiss f-gas regulation
Mr. Blaise Horisberger Senior Policy Advisor, Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, presented the main elements of the new Swiss regulation on fluorinated greenhouse gases, which has just been amended after 9 years of implementation.
The existing mandatory authorisation scheme for new AC&R installations with 3kg of f-gases or more is being replaced by a ban of placing on the market (certain exemptions can be granted case by case) for the following stationary systems using f-gas refrigerants:
a. Air conditioning systems for:
b. commercial refrigeration systems for:
c. industrial refrigeration systems for:
d. ice rinks, except for temporary systems
The presenter explained that the past mandatory authorisation scheme has allowed the natural refrigerants to better penetrate the Swiss market in such a way that the refrigeration industry can optimally cover the cooling/ heating needs in these sectors with technologies using natural refrigerants.
He noted that the important principle in the amended regulation has been the introduction of bans, and have the possibility to update it in the future.
The revised Swiss f-gas regulation
Mr. Blaise Horisberger Senior Policy Advisor, Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, presented the main elements of the new Swiss regulation on fluorinated greenhouse gases, which has just been amended after 9 years of implementation.
The existing mandatory authorisation scheme for new AC&R installations with 3kg of f-gases or more is being replaced by a ban of placing on the market (certain exemptions can be granted case by case) for the following stationary systems using f-gas refrigerants:
a. Air conditioning systems for:
- cooling with a cooling capacity of more than 600 kW,
- cooling and heating by means of variable refrigerant flow (VRF) or variable refrigerant volume (VRV) systems with more than 40 evaporator units and a cooling capacity of more than 80 kW,
- for local and district heating by heat pump with a cooling capacity of more than 600 kW;
b. commercial refrigeration systems for:
- minus cooling with a cooling capacity of more than 30 kW,
- plus cooling with a cooling capacity of more than 40 kW;
- combined plus and minus cooling with a cooling capacity of more than 40 kW for plus cooling and 8 kW for minus cooling;
c. industrial refrigeration systems for:
- deep freezing with a cooling capacity of more than 100 kW,
- all other applications with a cooling capacity of more than 400 kW;
d. ice rinks, except for temporary systems
The presenter explained that the past mandatory authorisation scheme has allowed the natural refrigerants to better penetrate the Swiss market in such a way that the refrigeration industry can optimally cover the cooling/ heating needs in these sectors with technologies using natural refrigerants.
He noted that the important principle in the amended regulation has been the introduction of bans, and have the possibility to update it in the future.
MORE INFORMATION
Nov 12, 2012, 13:03
Related stories
PARTNERS
Sign up to our Newsletter
Fill in the details below
