The first BSI approved chiller with low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant R1234ze, the TurboChill™ FreeCool provides industry-leading energy efficiency per footprint available from a centrifugal-based chiller with the capacity to deliver up to twice as much free-cooling as an equivalent thermosiphon system.
The TurboChill™ FreeCool incorporates the ability to supply fully concurrent free-cooling, without break of supply, during the transition from mechanical cooling, unlike equivalent thermosiphon designs. This increases energy efficiency by reducing the need for mechanical (DX) cooling and maximising the part-load efficiencies of components such as EC fans, inverter-driven pumps and centrifugal compressors.
The addition of low GWP hydro-fluoro olefin (HFO) refrigerant R1234ze makes the TurboChill™ a highly sustainable cooling alternative which automatically receives two BREEAM points in recognition of its low global warming impact. HFOs readily break down in the atmosphere within a very short lifetime. Rated by the International Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) with a 100-year GWP lower than 1, better than CO2, R1234ze will break down within just 16.4 days; in contrast R134a has a 100 year GWP of 2088 and takes 14 years to break down.
Airedale Technical Director, George Hannah, said: “The TurboChill™ with R1234ze provides the market with a low GWP chiller alternative well ahead of the impending EU phase-down in the use of hydro-fluorocarbons (HFCs). This is likely to see reductions in the supply of the most important F-gases that can be sold in the EU from 2015 onwards and their phasing-down in steps to one-fifth of 2014 sales in 2030.
“The TurboChill™ makes a very valuable combined contribution to the carbon reduction agenda through its outstanding energy efficiency properties and, perhaps more importantly, the excellent low global warming characteristics of R1234ze.”
The TurboChill™ with R1234ze is also shortlisted under ‘Environmental Initiative of the Year’ and ‘AC Product of the Year’ in the 2015 ACR News Awards (www.acrnewsawards.com). By the time the results are announced on 26 February, Airedale will also know if the TurboChill™ with R1234ze has picked up a trophy in the National ACR Awards 2015 (www.national-acr-awards.co.uk) and CIBSE Building Performance Awards (www.cibse.org/bpa). Earlier this year, the ground-breaking chiller picked up a commendation in the RAC Cooling Industry Awards.
