ESG metric: Scope 1 emissions
Ease of implementation: easy
Suitable for: Office, manufacturing and commercial building-based companies
Suggested functional lead: Facility manager
Summary
Reducing your air conditioning leaks is a low intensity task with large potential emissions reductions. We suggest booking an energy assessor to assess the current systems and propose upgrades or replacements where necessary. A member of staff or a team must be assigned to ensure the filters are maintained and annual professional assessments are scheduled.
Background Information
Air conditioning and other Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems can increase energy consumption up to 30% if not regularly maintained, thus, increasing emissions. According to the World Economic Forum, by the end of the century, air conditioning systems will account for 0.5 degree Celsius of global temperature rise due to their GHG emissions. It is crucial to note that air conditioning systems use hydrofluorocarbons, which are 1,000-3,000 tines more potent than CO2, despite the global efforts to phase out this chemical. These refrigerants can leak out of the air conditioning systems and into the atmosphere, emphasising the need for air conditioning checks, not only to reduce consumption emissions but also to reduce leakage as well. Due to this, all air conditioning systems outputting over 12kW within the UK must be inspected at least every 5 years, or the owners risk facing a £300 fine. For reference, an office building of 2,000m2 is likely to have an output of approximately 250kW from cooling systems. We suggest that annual inspections are carried out to increase efficiency and decrease both leakage emissions and energy consumption.
Implementation Steps
Get permission from office or building manager
If you do not own your building, request permission from the facility manager to book an accredited air conditioning energy assessor. They may also have standard professional accredited energy assessors they work with and may like to book the assessment in for the entire building.
Book an accredited air conditioning energy assessor
An accredited air conditioning energy assessor can test and diagnose problems such as a decrease in cooling efficiency, system pressure loss or any issues regarding air flow. Government websites tend to have a tool to find the nearest accredited air conditioning energy assessor to your facility. For the UK find out more here. Following the assessment, the assessor will produce a final report providing insights into any upgrades or replacements required to increase efficiency and decrease emissions from the air conditioning system.
Assign responsibility to ensure the inspection is complete
Ensure the inspection has been carried out in accordance to requirements and up to date regulations. These may vary from country to country. For the UK, find out more here. Ensure the most recent report is kept safely. If the responsibility of the report changes, another inspection must take place within 3 months of the newly appointed operator.
Assign responsibility for maintenance
Assign a member of staff to maintain the air conditioning systems in the offices and other buildings. If unsure of a potential issue, contact a professional to assess the situation.
Schedule annual assessment
It is advised that an accredited air conditioning energy assessor performs an annual assessment to check for leaks and ensure maximum efficiency.