Climate change, greenhouse effect and global warming - in the 21
Century there is hardly a topic that is discussed as ubiquitous and
"hot". Convinced skeptics of human-induced climate change refer to
epochs of geological history, in which the Earth is heated strongly,
even without our help or cooled. Also they see a future climate change
due mainly of course, among other things, by a modified elliptical
orbit like the Earth around the sun. Climate scientists argue that it
is today but also a significant human contribution to greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere, which will provide added that the earth is warming
up to the end of this century by a few degrees Celsius. The reason for
this is especially the industrial and technological development over
the past 150 years. Climate change and CO2 emissions, however, were
not initially known. They moved only gradually, increasingly from the
1960s into the public consciousness.
Direct and indirect emissions in the cooling
"Refrigeration and air conditioning applications in two areas
contribute to global warming," says Monika Witt, CEO of eurammon, the
European initiative for natural refrigerants. "On the one hand direct
emissions contribute by fluorine-containing refrigerants such as CFCs
and HFCs in heavily to the greenhouse effect. These arise, for example
through leaks in the refrigeration, the refrigerant evaporates into
the atmosphere. On the other hand, the drive of refrigeration
equipments indirect CO2 emissions caused by the considerable
expenditure of energy. In addition, the need for refrigeration
applications themselves steadily increases. Since 2001 the global
installed cooling capacity nearly tripled "
Policy approaches - Kyoto Protocol and F-Gas Regulation
International environmental agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol in
general or the European F-Gas Regulation specifically devoted to the
problem of greenhouse substances and seek solutions at the political
level. But the common understanding on climate change and reduction
targets and the establishment of general binding rules are designed
with the many individual interests of many countries extremely
difficult. This is particularly evident in the next year expiring
Kyoto Protocol. Already at the climate summit in Cancún in 2010,
participating countries could not agree on a binding structure for a
successor protocol or a new joint approach to calculation of
emissions.
While the international Kyoto Protocol sets binding targets for
reducing the gases carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur
hexafluoride and hydrofluorocarbons, the European F-Gas Regulation
specifically refers to the last group and their use in various
systems. "Because F-gases are used as refrigerants in refrigeration
and air conditioning systems, is the regulation for the sector of
refrigeration and air conditioning systems are of particular
importance," says Monika Witt. To reduce emissions, for example, it
regulates the marketing of F-gases, monitoring and maintenance of
equipment to avoid leaks and the education and training of skilled
technical personnel.
The European Commission recently published a review report on the
impact and appropriateness of the F-gas regulation in the past four
years. They came to the conclusion that the regulation does have a
significant impact on the European F-gas emissions. This is proven by
the end of 2010 decreased by approximately 3 million tonnes of CO2
equivalent. But that's enough to achieve the long-term EU targets to
reduce emissions by 2050 by 80-95 percent compared to 1990, is not
enough. Only about half of all left by 2050 projected emissions
avoided as a whole, and only when all 27 EU Member States would apply
the current rules of the F-Gas Regulation and the related provisions
for mobile air conditioners (MAC Directive) consistently . The
emissions were therefore stable only at the current level of 110
million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. The sticking point: In the context
of applications that fall under the F-gas regulation, can be forecast
to reduce emissions anyway, only slightly - by the year 2020 to just
over 3 million tons by 2050 and by about 4 million . tons. "To go on
as before leads, therefore, not the goal," says Monika Witt. "And
rules make sense only if they are respected. If the F-gas consumption
is not monitored closely, and - more importantly - follow for
non-compliance with no consequences, it is very unlikely that the
consumption is further reduced. A more rigorous monitoring and stiff
penalties if the conditions are not met, therefore, necessary. "
Natural refrigerants as an environmentally friendly alternative
The aim of the F-gases regulation will be to accelerate the
development of new technological innovations and alternative
technologies. An alternative to F-gases in refrigeration and air
conditioning systems are natural refrigerants such as ammonia (NH3),
carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrocarbons. "They have the advantage that,
unlike the F-gases do not have or only a negligibly low global warming
potential," says Monika Witt. "Their contribution to the greenhouse
effect is therefore also in the case of leakage or disposal of the
refrigerant is vanishingly small." Stressed Sun eurammon as part of
the employees in the expert group to examine the F-gas regulation in
part to the high reduction potential of F-gases if it were used for
example in stationary air conditioning ammonia as a refrigerant. In
addition, the initiative raised the good thermodynamic properties of
hydrocarbons and NH3 applications also in the critical temperature
range, out. Spread is still of the opinion that plants use natural
refrigerants generally less efficient than those with synthetic. "This
statement must be reviewed to ensure that solutions with natural
refrigerants through skillful planning and systematic system
optimization are at least as efficiently," says Witt. "For example,
NH3 as the refrigerant with the best thermodynamic properties and is
therefore one of the most cost-and energy-efficient refrigerant at
all."
An explicit promotion of natural refrigerants would be conceivable for
the eurammon CEO to give companies an incentive to switch. "This may
take the form of grants or tax relief. Another good option is a tax of
substances with high global warming potential. "The Australian
government presented a bill in September for a CO2 tax to a vote in
Parliament, which includes a tax of F-gas imports. To intensify the
transition to existing, environmentally friendly technologies, but
individual countries in Europe have already taken additional measures.
Buyers pay in Denmark for a kilogram of R-134a is currently € 17.50 in
taxes, € 35.00 in Sweden and in Norway even € 39.00. "What is
important is that provisions applicable throughout the EU to harmonize
in order to ensure the safe use of natural refrigerants. Currently,
there are still too many unnecessary obstacles in many countries,
"said Witt.
In addition: future use resources better
Natural refrigerants are inexpensive, available in unlimited
quantities and can already cover virtually any refrigeration
application. "On this basis it is to optimize the cooling technology
and develop," advises Monika Witt. "The energy efficiency of equipment
and components can be optimized still by research and development. So
it should be possible in the future, that plants the energy they need
and can produce themselves. "Even today savings may be used
intensively. "The waste heat from plants can be used for preparation
of hot water or for heating. And the performance and energy
consumption of a plant is often operated at partial load, could be
controlled by means of variable speed compressors. In addition to
electricity and refrigeration could generate more renewable energy
sources, for example, use solar energy to the CO2 emissions to reduce
the generation of fossil fuel. "
