TABLE OF CONTENTS - Everything R744

STRENGHTS & WEAKNESSES OF NATURAL REFRIGERANTS
Question: Rate the following factors as Strengths and Weaknesses that especially apply to Natural
Refrigerants. Select from ++ (very strong) to – – (very weak) as compared to conventional
refrigerants. O = same as conventional refrigerant systems.
… average values, all respondents
Environmental
impact
3.07
Availability of
technology
2.18
Refrigerants costs
3.01
Capital cost
2.12
Efficiency,
performance
CSR, image, competitive
advantage
Return on
Investment
2.80
2.70
2.56
Demand &
competition
Financial support
2.07
2.03
Compliance with
legislation
2.46
Uniform standards
1.96
Reliability,
compactness, weight
Safety
2.41
2.32
Information,
awareness
Skilled personnel
1.95
1.84
100
0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5
ENVIRONMENT, REFRIGERANT COSTS &
EFFICIENCY, CLEAR STRENGTHS
Clear strengths of natural refrigerants (all values above
2.0) were the environmental impact produced by lower
direct and indirect emissions, followed by the refrigerant
cost, and efficiency benefits. Also among the strengths
of NR-based technology in comparison to conventional
refrigerants was an enhanced corporate image, lower life
cycle costs, reliable technology, and the compliance with
current and upcoming legislation. Safety, an area often
mentioned as a challenge of NR systems, seems to no
longer be considered a major stumbling block for natural
refrigerant technology market uptake, by respondents.
0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5
KEY BARRIERS: SKILLED PERSONNEL,
AWARENESS & STANDARDS
Only in three fields were natural refrigerants considered
to be less competitive than conventional refrigerantbased
systems today: the lack of trained personnel was
clearly the highest barrier for a faster market uptake,
ranked before general awareness and misconceptions
arising from a lack of reliable information. The lack of
uniform standards in safety, trade, or building codes
was the third area in which where NR-based systems
faced barriers. The availability of technology and initial
investment costs seem to be declining in the importance
of their impact as barriers, with average values indicating
that NRs performed equally as well as conventional
refrigerants.
Total responses: 356