Refrigerants in building services guide TG 21/2022
|
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
In April 2022, BSRIA announced publication of a new topic guide: Refrigerants in Building Services (TG 21/2022), published in partnership with the Building Services Engineering Association (BESA).
Authored by Graeme Fox, BESA Technical Director, the topic guide is available for free from the BSRIA Bookshop.
[edit] Refrigerants in Building Services (TG 21/2022)
Refrigerants are used in the working cycle of virtually all air conditioning systems and heat pumps. The increased use of both comes at a time when the legislative landscape is looking evermore to restrict or limit the use of refrigerants that have a direct environmental impact. This places additional considerations on the building services designer with regard to which refrigerants can be used and what the likelihood is of restrictions on their use over time.
- Current environmental and health and safety legislation affecting refrigerants.
- Forthcoming changes to legislation.
- Efficiency considerations.
- An overview of commonly used refrigerants.
- Applications, including DX coils, chillers, split systems, VRF/VRV systems and heat pumps.
- Sources of further information.
The choice of refrigerants affects many people in the building services industry; hence this is a valuable guide for designers, installers, project managers, building owner/operators and maintenance staff.
[edit] Spirit of collaboration at a crucial time of industry change
BSRIA has a long history of collaboration with other industry authorities and experts, like the BESA, who share BSRIA’s passion for improving the economic, social, and environmental impact of the built environment.
Here, the two bodies were keen to work together to promote best practice across the sector and to fully explain the implications of stringent cuts to the use of HFCs and other bans as part of proposals to strengthen the European F-Gas regulation.
Graeme Fox, BESA Technical Director, said, “The timing of this guide is crucial. There is so much change going on in the industry and there is a danger that people will be bamboozled by all the current and proposed legislative changes. If people are confused, they can end up simply ignoring their obligations with extremely unfortunate consequences.”
Fox added that the new guide reinforced the importance of people being properly trained and holding up-to-date technical and health & safety qualifications to work with both traditional and alternative refrigerants. This is particularly important because many HFC replacement refrigerants are mildly flammable, he pointed out.
[edit] Webinar: Refrigerants in Building Services: Introducing TG 21/2022
BSRIA and BESA also jointly presented a webinar on May 3rd to discuss the topic guide. This was an opportunity to learn more about the new guidance, understand its wider context and why it is such a timely and important publication.
Article and guide authored by Graeme Fox, BESA Technical Director - available on BISRA website https://www.bsria.com/uk/news/article/bsria_and_besa_publish_refrigerant_guide_at_crucial_time_/
--BSRIA
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Absorption refrigeration.
- Air conditioning.
- Air conditioning inspection.
- Air handling unit.
- BESA - the Building Engineering Services Association
- BREEAM Impact of refrigerants.
- Chilled beam.
- Chiller unit.
- Chilled water.
- Chlorofluorocarbons CFCs.
- Complex system.
- Cooling systems for buildings.
- Cooling tower design and construction.
- Compression refrigeration.
- Constant air volume.
- EMEA compressor market 2020 - 2023.
- Evaporative cooling.
- Fan coil unit.
- Greenhouse gas.
- HVAC.
- Hydrochlorofluorocarbons HCFCs.
- Latent heat.
- Leaks in buildings.
- Montreal Protocol.
- Ozone depleting substance.
- Phase change.
- R22 phase out.
- R404A phase out.
- Refrigerant selection.
- Refrigerants in buildings.
- US among top 2020 global variable refrigerant flow markets.
- Variable refrigerant flow.
Featured articles and news
We're expanding our collaborative mission by launching DB Intelligence, an exclusive market research advisory panel. Built environment professionals can now get paid to share their expertise on industry trends, products and services.
Panel members receive direct financial incentives for participating in research projects like short surveys, 1-2-1 interviews and focus groups. Register today to shape the future of the construction sector.
Planning condition discharge in England and Wales
A brief exoplanation from a building compliance expert, with further links.
Overheating guidance and tools for building designers
Guidance for dealing with element of building fabric control that have increasing importance.
Shading for housing, a design guide
From the Good Homes Alliance and British Blind and Shutter Association.
UK Standard Skills Classification (SSC)
A shared framework for describing skills needs.
Social media ban consultation comes to close
CIOB urges UK Government to consider social media’s role in careers guidance in ban debate.
The latest of eight Skills England apprenticeship units
The addition of battery manufacturing welcomed by ECA with a warning about the risks of fast-tracked apprenticeship units.
Building Control Independent Panel final report
A precis of a key report led by Dame Hackitt with full recommendations and link to the government response.
Building Safety recap April, 2026
A short and longer run-through of the month, with links to further information and sources.
CIAT May 2026 briefing.
From medieval scribes to modern word art.
ECA welcomes crackdown on late payment and push for clean energy, whilst CIOB seek fixed cladding removal timeframes.
Cyber Security in the Built Environment
Protecting projects, data, and digital assets: A CIOB Academy TIS.
Managing competence in the built environment
ITFG publishes new industry guide on how to meet the ICC principles.
The UK's campaign to reduce noise pollution: Mythbusting, articles and topic guides.