Panasonic targets coldstore carbon cutting with CO2 condensing units
Launch of larger 20 HP unit will offer new options from food retail to hospitality, as F-Gas bans start to bite.
Heating and cooling giant Panasonic has reported a surge in demand for its CO2 condensing units, as the tightening F-Gas regulations make existing cooling units, running on the refrigerant R404A, increasingly expensive.
As the company unveiled its largest 20 HP unit, promising a compact footprint and high performance, head of sales for cooling. refrigeration and key accounts Mick Langford warned that smaller companies in pubs, restaurants and food retail had yet to realise the rising costs of R404A and in many cases were unaware of the bans on higher-GWP refrigerants. The F-Gas regulations make it illegal to install high-GWP refrigerant like R404A in new larger systems, and from 2030, it will also be illegal to use it for servicing existing systems too
He said that the costs alone made for a compelling reason to switch to the CO2 systems, even before the lower carbon footprint was factored in:
There is a phenomenal amount of R404A out there in the field, with probably tens of thousands of units on sites and the system costs are high now, with R404A costing £35-£45 a kilogramme. As an example, a food supplier running 30 condensing units could be looking at a bill of £2,000 for the gas alone. By contrast, CO2 is currently averaging 3.20 a kilogramme.
He stressed that while upgrading the system to a CO2 unit would mean a higher initial cost, the combination of lower refrigerant cost and much lower carbon made it a compelling case for ‘future-proofing’ the system. He said:
The clock is ticking for servicing bans with R404A. so although switching to CO2 will be a higher capital outlay, it is a long-term investment.
The company has seen a 350% increase in sales of the condensing units year on year in the UK, he added, as customers accelerate their upgrading. It has been successful with supermarkets such as Aldi, installing its 4 HP units in the retailers’ coldstores.
But Panasonic believes that the potential for upgrading condensing units in the UK is far greater, given the wide range of applications, from chilled and low temperature display cases to walk-in coldstores, blast chillers and process cooling. The firm estimates a UK estate of 45,000 convenience stores, 8,000 food producers, 124,000 restaurants and 48,000 pubs that use condensing units.
Mick Langford noted that many of these companies were unaware of the cost or regulatory impact, as they didn’t have regular interaction with contractors . He said:
Beyond the supermarkets, the word hasn’t yet got through and that is largely because the installer base isn’t there. The potential is enormous.
To help address this, Panasonic is increasing its training base for installers, with CO2 courses available at three of its centres of excellence – with one in Cardiff opening in April – as well as accredited courses with specialist training providers.
Mick said:
We think installer training is one of the most important issues currently – we won’t sell a CO2 unit to anyone who doesn’t have the training.
The new condensing unit
The new 20 HP condensing unit joins the existing range of 2 HP, 4 HP and 10 HP systems.
The new unit offers extended pipe-runs of up to 100 m and a compact footprint of 1.06 sq m, which the company says makes a significant difference against the alternative 2.03 sq m footprint from two 10 HP units. It incorporate two of the manufacturer’s inverter-driven compressors, which enable part-load operation down to 25% and which come with a five-year warranty.
A key feature is a night-time low noise operation and, like the rest of the range, it can operate in ambient temperatures from -20 deg C to 45 deg C. The range features an operating range of -35 deg to 50 deg and can be connected to an unlimited number of evaporators or display cases.
The 4 HP, 10 HP and 20 HP units also offer a heat exhaust option which enables them to produce additional free hot water.
