1. F Gas Review
The contractors’ view
Graeme Fox F.Inst.R
President, AREA
Air Conditioning & Refrigeration European contractors’ Association
(www.area-eur.be)
XV European Conference, Milano, 7th/8th June 2013

2. Air Conditioning &
Refrigeration
European Contractors’
Association
20 Members from 17 Countries
• > 9,000 companies
• > 125,000 employees
• Combined turnover approx. 20 billion Euros
• But almost all SMEs of less than 20 people each
• Direct employment of European workers
• Design, installation, maintenance and repair of RACHP
systems of all types and using all refrigerants

3. AREA Position Papers
All available from http://area-eur.be
AREA position on review proposals: December 2012
AREA position paper: October 2010
Pre-charged non-monoblock position: October 2010
Joint AREA/EPEE position on certification: March 2011
& more

4. Contractors’ main concerns:
•Training & certification
•The service ban
•The pre-charge ban

5. Training & certification
Mandatory competence assessment not mandatory training!
Competence can be assessed by examination and testing.
Modular tests for alternative gases.
Knowledge is the important thing and that can be proved by testing.
Training should only be for those who cannot demonstrate the
required level of technical knowledge.

6. Training & certification
Mandatory competence assessment not mandatory training!
Competence can be assessed by examination and testing.
Modular tests for alternative gases.
Knowledge is the important thing and that can be proved by testing.
Training should only be for those who cannot demonstrate the
required level of technical knowledge.
Renewal of certificates every 5 years

7. Service ban
•Threshold limits too low:
2500 GWP CO2 equivalent equates to only 1.28 kgs of R404a
meaning small end users would be hard hit by the bans with few
alternatives available in reality
•Some drop-in gases replacing HCFCs are above the 2500 limit
•Entry date of 2020 doesn’t leave enough time to plan
•Need to allow use of recycled gases – not provided for in proposal

8. What is the purpose of F Gas
Regulation?
Minimising emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases

9. What is the purpose of F Gas
Regulation?
Minimising emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases
Competence assessment is essential

10. What is the purpose of F Gas
Regulation?
Minimising emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases
Competence assessment is essential
But so is ensuring professional installation & servicing!

11. What is the purpose of F Gas
Regulation?
Minimising emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases
Competence assessment is essential
But so is ensuring professional installation & servicing!
Restricting sales of gas bottles is not enough

12. What are the consequences?
Unprofessionally installed systems are not properly leak tested
which leads to high rates of leakage – often total loss of refrigerant

13. What are the consequences?
Unprofessionally installed systems are not properly leak tested
which leads to high rates of leakage – often total loss of refrigerant
Restricting supply of gas bottles does not affect the unregulated
sector because they tend to install small splits with all the necessary
refrigerant already charged at the factory

14. Market size for small splits
Market for small split air conditioning / heat pump units is estimated
at 7 million units sold in EU every year  10,500 tonnes of HFCs
Market for domestic heat pumps alone is estimated
at 20 million installed by 2020
1 million small splits were sold in Italy alone in 2010:
Under current situation there is no way of verifying that the installations were
carried out by certified professional and no way of tracing where the gas has
gone.

15. Market size for small splits
Market for small split air conditioning / heat pump units is estimated
at 7 million units sold in EU every year  10,500 tonnes of HFCs
Market for domestic heat pumps alone is estimated
at 20 million installed by 2020
1 million small splits were sold in Italy alone in 2010:
Under current situation there is no way of verifying that the installations were
carried out by certified professional and no way of tracing where the gas has
gone.
21.9 million tonnes CO2 equivalent every year
So 10% leakage means 2.2 million tonnes equivalent leaked every year!

16. A missed opportunity?
Failing to stop pre-charging non-monoblock systems would:
• Ensure installation by non-certified professionals continues in
breach of the regulations
• Increase F-gas use because gas will continue to leak unabated
• Make controls on refrigerant use harder for authorities
• Harm responsible European SME contractors