To future-proof the cooling industry, an active effort needs to be made to move away from high-GWP refrigerants. Not only do air conditioning plants using low-GWP refrigerants use less energy, but the gases are also less harmful to the planet. This reduced energy usage as well as lower warming potential is a big leap in helping reduce global carbon footprints for the cooling industry.

Legislation and standards are driving our industry in the direction of lower-GWP gases via a wider acceptance of flammable refrigerants. Often, low-GWP refrigerants are more flammable and require a smaller charge, however, the industry is pushing these in favour of lowering global warming. But it would be foolish to ignore the added safety concerns and requirements that come with using these newer refrigerants. As we move towards lower-GWP refrigerants, safety needs to remain a key concern.

When working with A2L and A3 flammable gases, workers need to be aware of the added danger and the differences and nuances when working with different refrigerant types. An understanding of what constitutes as safe working for each refrigerant, as well as a general understanding of how to safely work with pressure equipment and explosive substances is vital. An industry-wide commitment to upskilling F-gas engineers to a higher understanding of PE(S)R and safe working practices (DSEAR) will help safeguard and futureproof the industry for the changes to come.

The future of the cooling industry will have a heavy focus on the difficulty of ensuring the safe working whilst also lowering our environmental impact. As we start to develop and use refrigerants with lower environmental impacts, constant training needs to be enforced to ensure our workforce is confident and keeping up with the ever-changing market. The cooling industry of the future is due to look very different to the cooling industry of today, but with an industry-wide commitment and enough investment, we can ensure safe working practices whilst also lowering the industry’s carbon footprint.