The U.K.-based Institute of Refrigeration (IOR) has created a program aimed at providing technical guidance on achieving net-zero emissions to British stakeholders in the refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump (RACHP) sectors.
The program, called “Beyond Refrigeration,” is based on a template consisting of seven key initiatives: reducing the need for mechanical cooling and heating, achieving best system performance, balancing heating and cooling, making use of best available technology, using energy intelligently, developing the best people and skills, and working together.
“The purpose of Beyond Refrigeration is to provide a focus for activity to address climate change issues and provide a framework for technical leadership,” IOR says on its website.
The IOR launched the program in April with an online conference titled “The Journey to Net Zero Heating and Cooling – Beyond Refrigeration 2021,” where it presented case studies that demonstrate how the RACHP sector is responding to the challenge of net zero heating and cooling.
The IOR recently published two draft papers supporting the program: One targets heating and cooling, and the other addresses people and skills solutions.
In the heating and cooling paper, the IOR suggests policymakers should reduce reliance on mechanical heating and cooling and assess the sector holistically. The IOR also recommends improving the energy efficiency of systems and buildings, better management of energy data, fiscal incentives and supportive legal frameworks.
The people and skills solutions draft paper focuses on the need to enhance environmental awareness across three key categories of RACHP stakeholders: owners and end-users, technicians, and engineers. The IOR pushes for enhanced communication between regulators and stakeholders and upskilling engineers and technicians on environment-related concerns. It also suggests establishing an “Environmental Skills Passport” for technicians and a dedicated higher‐level apprenticeship, mandatory for engineers, on RACHP environmental considerations.
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