explore the BusinessNet
New Daikin Seasonal Inverter System Pre Empts EU Directive on System Efficiency Calculation
Story
A forthcoming and important European Commission Directive drawing up new requirements for calculating and expressing air conditioning equipment performance has already been pre empted by Daikin Europe and incorporated in its new Seasonal Inverter RZQ-E range.
The performance of air conditioning equipment, generally expressed in terms of nominal performance, merely hides the significant differences that exist between rated and actual performance. The new EuP Directive seeks to reduce the environmental impact of energy using products within the EU and establishes a framework for their Eco-design. Since more than 80% of a product’s environmental impact is established at the design stage, Eco-design ensures improved environmental performance throughout the life cycle by the incorporation of environmentally conscious systems at the earliest stage of design. All such products will also require a new ‘seasonal efficiency’ rating to be quoted that takes account of multiple cooling and heating temperatures as well as unit operation at partial load instead of just full capacity. It will also consider the power consumed by equipment in auxiliary mode when the compressor is off. This ‘seasonal efficiency’ rating will eventually appear on a new energy label giving users a better idea of anticipated real life performance. The new regulations will come into force around 2013 at which time, all units unable to meet EuP requirements will be banned.
The new Daikin Seasonal Inverter RZQ-E therefore, has been redesigned ‘from the ground up’ with the result that its performance in terms of seasonal efficiency is 20% greater than the current series in real life situations with a 50% improvement over contemporary non inverter systems. Furthermore, it already meets the EU Commission’s 20-20-20 target (20% saving in total energy consumption, a reduction in CO2 emissions to at least 20% of 1990 levels and a 20% use of renewable energy by 2020). The Seasonal Inverter is scheduled for introduction in April 2010 in single and 3 phase models with capacities between 7 and 14kW and offers all the features of the current RZQ Super Inverter range.
Under EU legislation, a total ban on the use of R-22 comes into force in 2015 but prior to that, the use of virgin R-22 is also banned from January 2010. From then on supplies will obviously become increasingly scarce and the growing lack of availability will severely compromise certain maintenance operations such as compressor replacement, leading to longer system down time.
Like the current RZQ range, the new Seasonal Inverter, based on zero ODP and reduced CO2 emission R-410A refrigerant, incorporates all the features of the current Super Inverter range, including the use of Daikin ‘filter less’ technology, offering users of R-22 models a cost effective and efficient replacement and the re-use of existing piping.
