The EU-funded project LIFE FRONT aims to remove barriers posed by standards for hydrocarbon refrigerants in heating, cooling and refrigeration.

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LIFE FRONT: FLAMMABLE REFRIGERANT
OPTIONS FOR NATURAL TECHNOLOGIES
06/03/2018
Klára Skačanová
Market Development Manager
shecco

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AGENDA
• Project Overview
• Objectives
• Standards Action Group ”Front”
• Current Status
• Next Steps

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PROJECT
PRESENTATION

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PROJECT OVERVIEW
Full Title:
Flammable Refrigerant Options for Natural Technologies – Improved standards & product design
for their safe use (FRONT)
Ø Funded under LIFE, the EU’s financial instrument supporting environmental, nature
conservation and climate action projects throughout the bloc.
Ø Submitted under LIFE Climate Action - Climate Change Mitigation 2016 call
Ø Structured in 7 Actions (6 Work Packages (WP)) that run in parallel and build on each other
DURATION:
Ø Start: 15/06/2017 - End: 31/07/2020
Project Partners:

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BACKGROUND
In 2016 the EC published a report indicating that:
Ø [...standards (at international, European and national level) regarding the use
of flammable refrigerants appear to be an important barrier to the uptake of
climate friendly alternatives to HFCs. ]
In current standards – charge limits are not established on a basis of scientific
assessment, the “worst case” assumptions do not reflect the reality in the field
Source: GIZ Proklima, HEAT GmbH
The limit of 150g in
commercial refrigeration
does not allow to fully
exploit the potential of
energy efficient HFC-
free technology

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OBJECTIVES
LIFE FRONT aims to remove barriers posed by standards for flammable refrigerants in
HVAC&R.
Key objectives:
Ø Support the EU and international standardisation process for flammable refrigerants
Ø Reduce safety risks from improved system design for air-conditioning, refrigeration and
heat pump applications using flammable refrigerants
Ø Increase availability of alternatives to replace HFCs
Ø Engage in technology capacity-building for EU equipment manufacturers
Ø Remove non-technological knowledge barriers
Ø Improve Europe’s competitiveness for RACHP equipment using non-fluorinated
refrigerant alternatives
Ø Support an effective and timely achievement of the EU 2030 climate targets

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EXPECTED IMPACTS
Accumulated climate impact by project end (2020) and by 2023
Ø avoid 378,374 tCO2eq by 2020 and 1,467,338 tCO2eq by 2023
Ø avoid 3,046 tHFC by 2020 and 12,973 tHFC by 2023
Increase new HC market penetration
Ø by 17% by 2020 and 50% by 2023 for HPs and plug-in commercial
refrigeration
Ø by 6% by 2020 and 18% by 2023 for split AC and remote commercial
refrigeration units

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EXPECTED PROJECT OUTPUTS
Ø publish 6 public reports / guidelines for draft requirements for standards
on flammable refrigerants
Ø participate in 20 standardisation meetings (working groups, technical
committees) at the EU specific, strategic and international level
Ø Conclude a 2.5 years field study on leak hole size and type per application +
establish a leakage size and simulation database
Ø Create and lead an EU-wide standards action group (“FRONT”) on non-
fluorinated flammable refrigerants, gathering 50 experts in the RACHP
industry and providing capacity-building and activation of relevant
stakeholders
Ø Provide 3 leading EU-based manufacturers (AHT, ait, NIBE) with a
quantitative risk assessment and prototypes of enhanced product safety
features for 5 different units of commercial refrigeration and heat pump
models, as demonstration units for other manufacturers to follow
Ø reach 20,000 stakeholders worldwide with information on improved
requirements for flammable refrigerants

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STANDARDS ACTION GROUP ”FRONT”
LIFE FRONT aims to create the Standards Action Group "FRONT”:
Ø a voluntary group of stakeholders interested in the development of EU and
international standards on product, environmental or safety requirements for
flammable refrigerants
The main expectation from participants will be to :
Ø join an online working group
Ø exchange valuable input vital to crucial stages and deliverables in the project
Ø contribute to draft requirements for standards.
The action will result in:
Ø high replicability and transferability of project results into members’ business
activities via dissemination of best-practice methods.
A membership of at least 50+ experts is targeted, including international experts to
allow for knowledge transfer from other world regions to Europe.

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PROJECT ACTIONS
Literature Review & Market Study: Standards & Technology for
Flammable Refrigerants
Ø Mapping and analysing the current state of relevant European and
international standards
Ø Market study mapping available technology and product groups using
hydrocarbon refrigerants, their expected future availability, and the
impact of standards on such market development
Leak analysis, gas concentrations & consequences
Ø Field study of types/cause/size of leaks and an online leak hole size &
leak simulation database
Ø Laboratory study of leak mass flow rates and gas concentration
measurements

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PROJECT ACTIONS
Improved product safety design & quantitative risk assessment
Ø Re-design of prototype models according to the ”best practice”
principles established
Ø Risk assessment to identify improvements in risk reduction
associated with the implementation of new mitigation measures and
sensitivity especially concerning incremental increase in charge sizes
Standardisation action & capacity-building
Ø Standards Action Group ”Front”, a voluntary group of stakeholders
interested in the development of EU and international standards on
product, environmental or safety requirements for flammable refrigerants
Ø Draft requirements for flammable refrigerant standards

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CURRENT STATUS
Ø The consortium is currently working on a market study.
v The goal of the study is to map available technology and product
groups using hydrocarbon refrigerants, their expected future
availability, and the impact of standards on such market development. !
Ø Basic framework, model and calculation methods for technical components
regarding mass flow rates and leak hole size analysis are established
Ø A first initial Standards Action Group is being developed from currently
interested participants
Ø Project partners’ participation to the CEN/CENELEC Working Group for
standards was established

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NEXT STEPS
Ø an EU-wide survey has been launched recently to directly exploit the results
of the literature review by investigating the impact of current (restrictive)
standards on the European RACHP industry and its customers.
v Survey responses will be gathered and analysed in the next few
months
v Interviews will be conducted with market leaders
v The literature review and market study should be published as a public
report by the end of August 2018.
Ø Data for mass flow rates and leak hole size analysis will be gathered.
Ø An online leak hole size and leak simulation database will be developed
Ø First webinar with the Standards Action Group ”FRONT”, shall be soon
organised
Ø Standardisation work relevant to hydrocarbons will be followed closely

15. THANK YOU!