20181270 CR v8-2019Page 4
o Operators and holders take all necessary measures to perform periodic leak tests, the
frequency of which is determined not by the charge expressed in kg but in tonnes CO2
equivalent (T CO2 eq), and therefore by the type of fluid used. The thresholds used are now:
Test frequency without
detector
Test frequency with detector
Between 5 and 50 tonnes
CO2 equivalent
MAx. charge threshold (kg)
for a test
GWP of the fluid for 1 kg
in T CO2 eq
Reducing the amount of HFC fluids available on the market
European regulation 517/2014 governing "F-gas" refrigerant fluids is intended to reduce refrigerant fluids with
a high GWP. The GWP is an indicator that reveals a fluid's impact on global warming. This indicator is
expressed in CO2 equivalent. The higher the GWP, the greater the effect on global warming. GWP of the
main fluids on the market:
Example: in global warming terms, 1 kg of R410 is equivalent to 2088 kg of CO2
The regulatory context in detail:
F-gas has caused a gradual reduction in the amount of HFC fluids placed on the market. This gradual
reduction began in 2016, with a 7 % drop compared to 2015 (base year). In 2018, the figure is 37 %, which
will have an even bigger impact on the HVAC market. Fluids with a high GWP will be the first to be affected
(R410A, R407C), hence the urgent need for alternative solutions with fluids that cause less global warming.
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