Eu f gas 7 lessons learned
- 1. The EU F-Gas Regulation Key Principles and 7 Lessons Learned Nov. 2018
- 2. Who is EPEE? Founded in 2000, headquartered in Brussels Currently 48 members from three continents: • OEMs : heat pumps, a/c, refrigeration • Component manufacturers • Gas producers • Installers • National & international associations EU Japan USA South Korea and China
- 3. KEY PRINCIPLES AND STATUS The EU F-Gas Regulation
- 4. The 4 main pillars of the F-Gas Regulation Sectoral bans HFC phase-down Competence Containment
- 5. The EU HFC phase-down vs. Kigali Source: UNIDO • EU phase-down much steeper than Kigali • Baseline: average quantities placed on EU market between 2009 and 2012 (‚grandfathering‘) • 10% New Entrants Reserve • Only bulk gas manufacturers and importers can apply for quota • Importers of precharged equipment need authorisations for HFC contained in equipment
- 6. How does the phase-down work? The phase-down is based on CO2-equivalents and it is not sector specific • It does not ban specific refrigerants but impacts particularly those with a high GWP • Calculation of CO2-equivalents: kg x GWP • There are several ways to ease the pressure of the phase-down : 1. Reduce the GWP of the refrigerant 2. Reduce the refrigerant charge size of the equipment 3. Reduce leakages 4. Recover, recycle and reclaim refrigerants CO2 equivalents GWP = 1430 GWP = 39226
- 7. On track: Progress under the EU Phase-Down Source: European Environment Agency, 12/2017: Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases 2017 Stockpiling in 2014 led to a false feeling of security in 2015/2016 7
- 8. EU Price Monitoring Source: Ökorecherche 10/2018, Monitoring of HFC prices in the EU • Stockpiling in 2014 • Lack of understanding • Lack of anticipation
- 9. 7 LESSONS LEARNED FROM EUROPE The European Experience
- 10. Preliminary remarks • The full paper can be downloaded on the EPEE website: www.epeeglobal.org • The EU approach is ONE of MANY ways to achieve HFC consumption reduction steps. There is no one-size-fits-all solution and rules always need to be adapted to the particularities of the respective country and market. • Developed and developing countries have different characteristics and need tailor-made measures considering many different factors such as market size, manufacturing base or relying on imports, etc.
- 11. Lesson #1: The Basics Containment & Competence should be the basis of any measure targeting direct f-gas emissions Containment Energy Efficiency CostSafety ➔ How to achieve containment: • Design • Quality of manufacturing • Quality of installation & maintenance ➔ The F-Gas Regulation requires: • Regular leak checks • Leak detectors for larger systems • Certification requirements for technicians • Labelling X
- 12. Lesson #2: Data & Communication Governments should reach out to the entire supply chain to ensure successful design and implementation of regulation Cooperation with industry Solid data Communication To ensure the safe and efficient operation of HVACR equipment: ➔ Cooperation: Governments need to reach out to industry to understand the market ➔ Data: Policy measures need to be based on solid data: e.g. EPEE commissoned several studies (Armines, SKM Enviros, Gluckman Consulting) ➔ Communication: All stakeholders need to be aware of the new measures and understand how they will impact them to anticipate compliance Otherwise risk of disproportionate price increases, refrigerant shortages , illegal imports …
- 13. Lesson #3: Governance The phase-down principle works but requires excellent governance Communi- cation Design EnforcementFlexibility Anticipation Ensure understanding by all stakeholders Ensure level playing field for OEMs (‚precharged‘) Establish market surveillance and penalty schemes Allow for some flexiblity to adapt to market situation Put in place measures early enough to achieve phase-down steps
- 14. Lesson #4: Alignment When combining different measures, they need to be aligned and their respective role clearly communicated to the market Sectoral bans in EU ➔ Opinions diverge whether sectoral bans are necessary & when they should kick in ➔ Stakeholders must understand that the phase- down will force the move twds lower GWP refrigerants ➔ Sectoral bans must not be used as an excuse by market players to hold back on necessary action to comply with the phase-down
- 15. Lesson #5: Anticipation Building codes and standards need to be ready for and aligned with national legislation EU Level • F-Gas Regulation National Level • Building Codes Local Level • Fire fighting departments etc. ➔ The lower the GWP of a refrigerant, the more likely it will be flammable ➔ Building codes at national level or at local level are mandatory and sometimes prohibit the use of flammable refrigerants ➔ National and local building codes need to be adapted to the use of flammable refrigerants
- 16. Lesson #6: Resources Recovery RecyclingReclaim Recovery, recycling, reclaim and reuse of gases are crucial elements to achieve HFC consumption and emission reductions ➔ Adequate infrastructure ➔ Waste legislation needs to allow for the transport of used refrigerant across borders ➔ Careful monitoring to avoid that virgin product is filled in cylinders that are labelled as “reclaimed”: buying from reputable sources will reduce that risk
- 17. Lesson #7: Indirect Emissions Energy efficiency should not be compromised by F-Gas rules and should be addressed in dedicated legislation EU Clean Energy Package EPBD Ecodesign MEPS Energy Label Renewable Energy Directive Electricity market Governance Energy Union Energy Efficiency Directive ➔ The largest share of emissions from HVACR equipment is due to the energy use (‘indirect’ emissions) ➔ To effectively reduce emissions, dedicated legislation is indispensable, e.g. for buildings (EPBD) and products (MEPS, energy labelling) ➔ When designing phase-down measures, the need for refrigerants that allow for higher efficiency needs to be considered
- 18. 18 Conclusions • HVACR is indispensable for a safe and comfortable life in today’s society. • The HVACR market will grow significantly in the coming decades: this is an opportunity for the industry but also a huge responsibility. • There are many top of the line, sustainable technologies readily available. • Refrigerants are just one piece of the puzzle and the HFC phase-down is just one tool among others to achieve emission reductions. • Direct measures such as containment, recycling/reclaim and charge size reduction can be very effective and should be prioritized. • Indirect emissions represent the largest share and need to be addressed in dedicated legislation.
- 19. Contact: EPEE 46 Avenue des Arts 1000 Brussels, Belgium a.voigt@epeeglobal.org www.epeeglobal.org @EPEESecretariat @AndreaVoigt2305 19 Thank you for your attention – Questions?