Why Natural Refrigerants?
In the refrigeration industry, the term “natural refrigerants”, applies to certain substances that are abundant in nature. The most commonly used are carbon dioxide (CO2), ammonia (NH3), and hydrocarbons (mainly propane or isobutane).
Global Warming Potential (GWP) difference between common synthetic and natural refrigerants is remarkable
Efficiency
During the last two decades, intensive research & development in natural refrigeration technologies proved that traditional synthetic refrigerant systems are outperformed in energy efficiency by a notable margin. Today it is possible to find a suitable natural solution for both commercial and industrial refrigeration systems. When combined with heat recovery total energy savings on average range between 30 to 50%, which makes investment profitable.
Economy
According to the statistics in 2019, natural refrigerants were up to 8 times cheaper than synthetic refrigerants. Since then this trend has been similar, and with the planned next phase restrictions on synthetic substances, it may accelerate even further.
*Source: Öko-Recherche (2019) - monitoring survey on refrigerant prices (GEN - 896.00).
The capital expenditure (CAPEX) is dependent on each individual project. What can be generally concluded today is that CAPEX for systems based on natural refrigerants often is equal or lower than for the systems with synthetic refrigerants. Of course, when an honest comparison is made.
The operational expenditures (OPEX) can be significantly lower for natural refrigerants primarily thanks to the outstanding energy efficiency, and to some extent due to lower maintenance costs.
Refrigeration systems operate at least 20 years, and a poor choice can lead to several 100-thousand Euro accumulated difference. Therefore, the question is whether it is worth saving small money without enough competence at the initial stage, if the risk to lose big money over a system lifetime is significant.
Naturally energy efficient by EKA
For us at EKA, natural refrigerants are nothing new – we’ve exclusively worked with them since long, accumulating vast experience rarely matched in the market.
Don’t wait for official restrictions on your refrigeration system – choose cost-efficient sustainability today!