Page 29 - Climate Control News Magazine April 2019

Chiller Feature
COMPLIANCE TIMELINE AND FEES
cialised or alternative refrigerants would not be a basis for exclusion of a chiller from the applica- ble MEPS. That is, all refrigerants would be in- cluded,” the paper said.
Chillers that heat or cool potable water have been excluded from MEPS compliance along with chillers that do not use mains electricity or are driven by an electric motor and chillers with remote condensers.
Examples of other exclusions include air- cooled, free-cooling chillers and adiabatic chill- ers or chillers with titanium heat exchangers and those with 6-pipe units.
Chillers with centrifugal fans must also com- ply, however, if the centrifugal fan detracts from the energy efficiency of the chiller, suppliers can apply for an exemption from meeting MEPS.
“Suppliers should note that the GEMS Regula- tor assesses exemptions on the merits of each in- dividual case and not all applications for an ex- emption may be granted,” the paper said.
LEFT: Despite all the complications surrounding energy performance standards for chillers, E3 is still on track to finalise the changes within the next two years.
As well as an increase in the number of chill- ers set to be registered in Australia, figures from the Cold Hard Facts 3 Report show continuing demand for large commercial chillers over the next decade.
The research, which was commissioned by the Department of Environment and prepared by the Expert Group, estimates there was 22,600 chillers operating in Australia in 2016 containing approximately 4,200 tonnes of refrigerant.
New chiller sales are expected to grow at around 1% per annum or in line with construc- tion activity in large commercial buildings, the report said.
Generally, chillers require larger refrigerant charges and the majority are charged with HFC-134a.
“While demand for large commercial chillers is expected to grow strongly, the bank in this segment is predicted to expand by a modest 6.4% over the projection period from around 4,200 metric tonnes in 2016 to approximately 4,650 tonnes in 2030 as chillers are being substituted with other AC technology such as VRV/F sys- tems,” the report said.
All of the global manufacturers of space chill- ers (including local manufacturer Smardt Chill- ers) are offering equipment charged with HFOs or HFO/HFC blends.
“The refrigerant landscape in this segment is changing rapidly, primarily driven by experiences in the European Union where the HFC phasedown timetable is driving change,” the report said.
The HFO refrigerant of choice for large centrif- ugal chillers is HFO-1233zd with several large in- stallations undertaken in Australia during 2017 using this refrigerant.
Some suppliers are adopting a two-step ap- proach, moving to a Class A1 HFO/HFC blend with around half the GWP of HFC-134a, such as HFC-513A (GWP of 632), while planning the transition to pure HFOs.
“One impediment to this transition, particu- larly to HFO-1234yf, is the additional installation costs arising from its Class A2L mildly flamma- ble classification,” the report said.
CHILLERS WILL NEED TO BE CERTIFIED
BY THE AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND REFRIGERATION INSTITUTE (AHRI) OR EUROVENT.
Industry expect a significant reduction in registration fees
The proposed regulations would take effect January 1, 2021.
E3 has recommended the new MEPS levels for chillers be published in a determination under the GEMS Act rather than referenced in an ANZ standard.
To address concerns by industry about this approach, GEMS inspectors will consult with the chiller industry to ensure regulators can monitor and enforce compliance effectively.
A registration fee will apply to every chiller that is registered even if the difference in cooling or heating capacity between the two chillers is as little as one kilowatt (kW).
According to the briefing paper there will be no grouping of registrations and no 'families' of chiller models.
This approach is expected to dramatically increase the number of chillers registered.
However, the cost of registration is yet to be decided.
“The GEMS Regulator will consider the number of likely registrations and the cost of registration, compliance and any check testing, in setting the fee to be applied to chillers,” the paper said.
“E3 understands that industry acceptance of this approach to registrations is predicated on a significant reduction in fees and E3
will work through these issues cooperatively with industry.”
CLIMATE CONTROL NEWS
APRIL 2019
29