ASERCOM Convention 2021 breaks attendance record. With over 170 participants, the ASERCOM Convention – digital dialogue – was a complete success.
“The outstanding number of participants shows that the industry is very interested in the current topics such as the status of the revision of the F-Gas Regulation, Ecodesign certification and reports from the ASERCOM working groups,” says a satisfied ASERCOM President Wolfgang Zaremski. The focus on thematic blocks has specifically attracted refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump specialists as dialogue participants. Not only was the virtual format a premiere, but also the fact that participants were able to address questions and suggestions on the planned topics to the speakers in advance. Many of the participants took advantage of this opportunity.
To kick off the event, Regis Leportier, Head of the ASERCOM Steering Committee, informed the audience in his presentation, “F-Gases – more than refrigerants” about the current status of the planned revision of EU Regulation 517/2014 from an industry perspective. One clear message was that the requirements of the F-Gas Regulation are very effective in terms of their objectives. Likewise, the original EU target of limiting the average temperature increase of the atmosphere to a maximum of 2°K by 2050 compared to pre-industrial times will be achievable with the existing requirements of the current F-Gas Regulation.
But more market monitoring and control is needed to ensure that targets are met, Regis Leportier said. In particular, the reduction of quota-based available F-gases quantities in the EU must not be jeopardised by contraband. ASERCOM calls on policy-making bodies to support industry on this path with adequate availability of lower GWP substances and components to cope with the F-gas phase-down mechanism. Anything else will only encourage an illegal trade in HFCs. For the moment, he said, the current timetable is acceptable and has allowed component and system manufacturers to adapt their products to the sustainable transition.
Remaining challenges in implementation are the further updating of the necessary safety standards and the adaptation of national and European building regulations to the new challenges. Building regulations should preferably be harmonised with the main safety standards in the EU.
The global overview that followed showed that environmental protection is not only a top issue in Europe. The USA under Biden as well as Asia – especially China – will give CO2 reduction a special status in the future with direct effects on the industry. In addition to the necessary F-gas reductions, the focus is naturally on the energy efficiency of the products. The global overview was rounded off by special information on the planned European “Green Deal”.
Another premiere during the CONVENTION was the “live demo” of ASERCOM‘s condensing unit sizing and design software ASEVALCU by Julian Pfaffl. Before that, he presented the report on the current status of the product certifications.
2020 was a record year for ASERCOM
A total of 221 records were submitted for review last year, of which 217 compressors and condensing units were recertified. This results in over 1,232 active certified products. In total, ASERCOM now has 5,585 records in its database. On the ASERCOM website, the product range can be filtered or sorted by the visitor according to various categories.
Another focus 2020 in this working group was the further development of the various software packages. ASERCOM worked intensively on the development of its certification software solutions and presented its new software tools for refrigerants, such as ASEVAL. This software supports the certification process of compressors and helps to create performance data and documentation.
ASEVALCU was presented by Julian Pfaffl in a live presentation. This software primarily supports engineering through the simple calculation and combination of various condensing unit components, such as condenser blocks, fans and compressors in combination with the current new and future refrigerants.
Another topic of the presentation was the refrigerant library ASEREP II, which has been in use since mid-2020. This library is the common database used by all European compressor manufacturers in the calculation and certification of their products. The necessary data for all upcoming and existing refrigerants such as HFOs, HFO blends, or natural refrigerants can be processed at high speed.
As new targets for 2021, ASERCOM wants to further increase the number of certifications for compressors and for condensing units.
Inside ASERCOM the second set of topics
Dina Koepke and Torben Funder-Kristensen reported on new goals and planned changes or updates to various already existing regulations of the European Union. The EU Green Deal will be a particular challenge for the industry. In 2050, the EU wants to be transformed into a carbon-free zone. The path to this goal will certainly be discussed at length. However, some known interim targets are very ambitious. One example is the 2030 target: Reduction of greenhouse gases by 55% compared to 1990. This target achievement is particularly demanding in the areas of road transport, building management and energy production.
The RoHS regulations may have an additional impact on the industry in the near future, as there are plans to recover and reuse more raw materials. This will impose additional requirements on the component manufacturers. ASERCOM promised to keep a close eye on further developments.
On the topic of norms and standards, Dr Heinz Jürgensen gave the participants a current status report. Dr. Christian Ellwein reported from the Inverter and Controls working group on the latest developments in internet security. Particular reference was made to the intensive cooperation with the VDKF and the US association AHRI. The interconnectedness of building technology is also making further progress. It was reported that the working draft of the electronic data sheet for the Modbus RTU is ready. But the start date for marketing and market introduction has yet to be defined. For inverter product standards, there is currently no update for flammable refrigerants and EMC.
“This summary once again shows how complex the regulatory situation is today and also underlines the importance of strong industry representation,” says President Wolfgang Zaremski.
The dialogue continues: Q&A session on February 23rd, 10.00 a.m.
In addition to the two top topics of F-gases and certification, the overview of further supranational and international regulatory projects provided for discussions. The contributions to the ASERCOM Convention can still be accessed free of charge via www.asercom-events.com. With a digital Q&A format on February 23rd, the association will offer the opportunity to discuss all open questions and contributions to the discussion with the speakers of the convention in more detail.
All presentations as video and the slides for download at: www.asercom-events.com
