News Archive - September 2012
F-gas revision: Bans, phase outs and an end to pre-charged equipment
28 September 2012
HFC phase-downs, usage bans in certain products, a stop to the use of R404A and an end to the sale of pre-charged air conditioning and refrigeration equipment are just some of the proposed revisions to the new European F-gas regulations revealed in a leaked document this week.
Honeywell to meet with Daimler over R1234yf tests
25 September 2012
GERMANY: Refrigerant manufacturer Honeywell has expressed surprise at today's announcement by Daimler that it will not be using the new HFO refrigerant R1234yf in its new cars and trucks.
Daimler shuns new refrigerant R1234yf
25 September 2012
GERMANY: Daimler, the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz cars, has said it will not be using the new HFO refrigerant R1234yf in its vehicle air conditioning systems. Instead, it says it wishes to continue using R134a.
Mueller to repurchase shares from Leucadia
24 September 2012
USA: Copper tube manufacturer Mueller Industries has agreed to repurchase the 10,422,859 shares of common stock owned by industrial conglomerate Leucadia National Corporation at a negotiated price of $41.00 per share. The aggregate purchase price is $427,337,219.
Tomkins to sell air movement business
24 September 2012
USA: The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has agreed to acquire Tomkins' Air Distribution division for approximately $1.1bn.
Voltas now top ac brand in India
22 September 2012
India: Indigenous manufacturer Voltas has now overtaken Korean brands LG and Samsung as the major air conditioning supplier in India.
Star is latest company to develop 1234ze chiller
22 September 2012
UK: Star Refrigeration has become the latest UK company to test the low GWP HFO refrigerant 1234ze in a chiller.
Lennox to sell US residential contracting business
22 September 2012
USA: Lennox International plans to sell its residential and small commercial air conditioning and heating contracting business.
Daikin heat pump top with Kiwi consumers
20 September 2012
New Zealand: Daikin has come out on top in a consumer survey in New Zealand into levels of customer satisfaction with heat pumps.
US laboratory identifies 1200 potential new refrigerants
20 September 2012
USA: Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new computational method for identifying potential low GWP refrigerants.
Mr Gu: "I am completely innocent"
18 September 2012
CHINA: He's out and proclaiming his innocence. Gu Chujun, the former multi-millionaire chairman of refrigerator manufacturer Kelon, sentenced to 10 years for "economic crimes" in 2005, has made claims of being framed after his release from jail.
Logicool appointment a logical step for Panasonic
18 September 2012
UK: Derby-based air conditioning distributor Logicool has been appointed a distributor of Panasonic.
Uncharged R22 units still being produced in the US
16 September 2012
USA: An objection to a newspaper article by the USA's Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has again highlighted the problem of US manufacturers "dry-shipping" air conditioning equipment for use with R22.
Greenhouse gas emissions down
13 September 2012
EUROPE: Greenhouse gas emissions in the EU fell by 2.5% last year, despite higher coal consumption and a growing gross domestic product (GDP), according to new estimates from the European Environment Agency (EEA).
Cool Designs into Midlands
13 September 2012
UK: Sunderland-based air conditioning and heat pump distributor Cool Designs Ltd (CDL) has opened a new sales, design and training centre in Cannock.
Dürr acquires stake in German heat pump company Thermea
13 September 2012
GERMANY: Dürr AG has acquired a 27% stake in fellow German heat pump specialist Thermea Energiesysteme GmbH. Thermea is one of the world's leading suppliers of large commercial heat pumps using CO2.
It's official: Refrigeration is the greatest invention
13 September 2012
UK: We already knew it and now it's official - refrigeration is the greatest invention in the history of food and drink. So says the Royal Society, the UK's pre-eminent national academy of science.
Death toll in Quebec LD outbreak rises to 12
12 September 2012
CANADA: The legionnaires' disease outbreak in Quebec has claimed a 12th victim in an outbreak which has so far seen 176 infected.
UNEP acts to block illegal HCFC shipments through the EU
12 September 2012
EUROPE: Suppliers of refrigerant have been reminded that it is an offence to import, transit or trans-ship ozone depleting substances through member states of the European Union after a number of illegal shipments were uncovered.
Sainsbury's to pilot demand response initiative
12 September 2012
UK: Leading supermarket chain Sainsbury's is to pioneer a power demand response programme at two of its distribution centres.
Europe sees fall in HFC usage
11 September 2012
EUROPE: Usage of HFCs in refrigeration and air conditioning equipment in Europe fell by 23% last year compared to 2010, according to a study of F-gas prodution, import and exports from the European Environment Agency (EEA).
Search is on for outstanding refrigeration achievement
11 September 2012
UK: The Institute of Refrigeration is calling for nominations of individuals or teams from around the world who have made recent outstanding technical achievements in refrigeration and related fields.
Industry welcomes RHI for air-to-water heat pumps
11 September 2012
UK: Peter Verkempynck, md of Daikin UK has added his suport to the news that Greg Barker, minister of state for energy and climate change, plans to include commercial scale air-to-water heat pumps in the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive.
Wind-up refrigerator is serious answer to drug storage
07 September 2012
USA: A wind-up vaccine refrigerator has been named the US Winner of the James Dyson Award.
Refrigeration compressors are works of art
06 September 2012
USA: Emerson has brought a little colour into the compressor world by turning its Scroll compressor into works of art.
George Barker fined £110,000 for fatal safety failures
06 September 2012
UK: Bradford-based commercial refrigeration firm George Barker has been ordered to pay £140,000 in fines and costs after admitting safety failures that led to the death of 61-year-old employee Jim Murphy in December 2009.
Frozen produces less CO2 emissions than chilled
05 September 2012
UK: Contrary to popular belief, new research suggests that frozen food is responsible for less CO2 emissions than chilled food.
Phil Creaney
04 September 2012
ACR News shares the shock of the air conditioning and refrigeration industry at the sad news of the sudden death at the weekend of Phil Creaney, editor of rival UK magazine ACR Today.