Daikin UK – Partner with Confidence

On Thursday 13th June 2019, Daikin UK launched its Partner with Confidence initiative focused on increasing the use of reclaimed refrigerant within the market and promoting a circular economy within building services, while improving the security of refrigerant supply for our customers.

The initiative is part of Daikin’s commitment to provide safe and healthy air environments while striving to make its business activities carbon neutral by 2050.

It is also in response to the F-Gas regulations, which define quotas for how much-fluorinated gases can be produced by manufacturers. In 2018, the quota reduced by 37% and in 2021 it will reduce once more by 55% against the baseline. However, the F-Gas quota does not include refrigerant already in the market, so reclaimed refrigerant has zero impact on the F-Gas quota and is not restricted in the same way. That’s because reclaiming refrigerant avoids the carbon emissions associated with manufacturing new F-gases. So systems that use reclaimed refrigerants have a lower environmental impact overall.

With this in mind, Daikin is focused on increasing refrigerant recovery and use of reclaimed refrigerant in the market – to help maintain the security of refrigerant supply in the UK for our customers – and protect our planet.

The Partner with Confidence initiative includes:
• Design with Confidence: the allocation of certified reclaimed refrigerant in selected VRV systems
• Commission with Confidence: introducing the use of reclaimed refrigerant in Daikin’s market leading Commission with Confidence service
• Reclaim with Confidence: a new service launched in partnership with A-Gas Rapid Recovery, international specialists in the supply and lifecycle management of refrigerants and other gases.

Details of the project

Design with Confidence
From April 2019, the VRV IV+ Heat Recovery systems and existing VRV IV S-series units have certified reclaimed refrigerant allocated to them during production, meaning these units have zero impact on F-Gas quotas. The quantity of reclaimed refrigerant allocated to these units avoids more than 300,000 tons of CO2eq from being generated in the production of virgin refrigerant.

Commission with Confidence
Daikin UK’s market leading Commission with Confidence service – which offers refrigerant supply, system charging, commissioning and optional monitoring, all for a flat rate – has also switched to using certified reclaimed refrigerant from June 2019. So systems commissioned by Daikin UK will also have zero impact on F-Gas quotas.

Reclaim with Confidence
The brand new ‘Reclaim with Confidence’ service was launched on 13th June for Daikin D1 Business Partners and D1+ Premium Partners, available via A-Gas Rapid Recovery exclusively in partnership with Daikin. This ground-breaking partnership aims to increase reclaiming of refrigerant within the industry.

Here’s how it works:
• Daikin D1 customers simply log onto the D1 portal or Etool and click on the Reclaim tab, then complete the online order form, giving the site details and an estimate of the refrigerant type/ quantity
• quantity. The price for the rapid recovery service depends on the volume of refrigerant in the system
• The form is electronically sent automatically to A-Gas Rapid Recovery who contacts the customer directly to agree a time and date for the site check (if required) or to go ahead directly with the recovery
• On the day, A-Gas Rapid Recovery meets the customer’s team for induction on site, bringing with them the required cylinders for the quantity and type of gas on site
• The reclaim rig is wheeled into position, the recovery hose is rolled out up to 250 feet and the recovery lines are connected
• The rapid recovery machine recovers refrigerant at around 34 kilos an hour
• Once all the refrigerant is recovered, the system is sealed and made safe and A-Gas Rapid Recovery pack up and leave
• On completion, the Daikin D1 customers is able to download a certificate from the Etool recording how much refrigerant has been reclaimed, so it can be presented to the site owner.

How the project demonstrates innovation in the field.

Daikin is the only manufacturer in the industry to be offering Certified Rreclaimed Rrefrigerant Allocation in its units and commissioning services, as well as encouraging the recovery of refrigerant in existing systems. By doing so, Daikin is demonstrating to its customers that by each playing our part, we can increase the
amount of reclaimed refrigerant going back into our units, ease pressure on the F-Gas quota and secure the supply of R410A in the years ahead.

Details of any new technology or other unique attributes of the project

Design with confidence
The newly launched VRV IV+ system features Variable Refrigerant Temperature (VRT) , continuous heating during defrost and a completely redesigned compressor, which increases seasonal efficiency by an average of 15% in cooling, compared with VRV IV. As a result VRV IV+ already far exceeds the new ENER LOT21 Tier 2 due to come into force in 2021.

Unique to any other manufacturer, VRV IV+ Heat Recovery systems now have Certified Rreclaimed Rrefrigerant Aallocationed to them during production, making it even easier for building owners and tenants to make a positive choice to reduce the environmental impact of air conditioning systems.

Commission With Confidence
Daikin UK’s Commission With Confidence service aim to bring stability and confidence to the market, which has experienced price turbulence for refrigerants since the quota reductions in 2018 set by the European F-Gas Regulations.

The Commission With Confidence service includes refrigerant supply, system charging and commissioning assistance, all for a flat rate guaranteed for a set time period to protect customers from fluctuating supply and prices. The supply of R410A refrigerant trim charge is guaranteed as part of the commissioning package – and now is supplied as Certified Rreclaimed Rrefrigerant, which has lower CO2eq emissions generated during manufacture and has zero impact on the F-Gas quota.

Unique to any other manufacturer, VRV IV+ Heat Recovery systems now have reclaimed refrigerant allocated to them during production, making it even easier for building owners and tenants to make a positive choice to reduce the environmental impact of air conditioning systems.

Reclaim with Confidence
• Offering on-site F-Gas recovery, Reclaim with Confidence is solely for D1/D1+ Partners and is available via A-Gas Rapid Recovery, exclusively in partnership with Daikin
• The Reclaim with Confidence service can be arranged for all refrigerants – R410A, R407C and many more.
• Reclaim with Confidence ensures that the refrigerant is recovered and reclaimed to AHRI700 standard for future use in the market or safely disposed of as required.
• The service minimises system downtime and helps to maintain business as usual, ensuring customer satisfaction at all time.

Here’s how it works:
• Daikin D1 customers simply log onto the D1 portal or Etool and click on the Reclaim tab, then complete the online order form, giving the site details and an estimate of the refrigerant type/ quantity
• The price for the rapid recovery service depends on the volume of refrigerant in the system
• The form is electronically sent automatically to A-Gas Rapid Recovery who contacts the customer directly to agree a time and date for the site check (if required) or to go ahead directly with the recovery
• On the day, A-Gas Rapid Recovery meets the customer’s team for induction on site, bringing with them the required cylinders for the quantity and type of gas on site
• The reclaim rig is wheeled into position, the recovery hose is rolled out up to 250 feet and the recovery lines are connected
• The rapid recovery machine recovers refrigerant at around 34 kilos an hour
• Once all the refrigerant is recovered, the system is sealed and made safe and A-Gas Rapid Recovery pack up and leave
• On completion, the Daikin D1 customers is able to download a certificate from the Etool recording how much refrigerant has been reclaimed, so it can be presented to the site owner.

Potential cost savings over conventional technology

Reclaim with Confidence is a fixed fee service that saves almost 70% of time and costs on-site [*based on case study], ensuring that when it’s time to repair or replace systems, refrigerant is recovered for reclaiming –
completely hassle free.

Daikin customers benefit from extra Business Development Fund rewards based on the quantity of refrigerant they reclaim. For every kilo of R410A refrigerant reclaimed via A-Gas, a credit is made into their next year’s Business Development Fund.

Reclaim with Confidence makes it quick, easy and cost effective to recover refrigerant according to best practice. Installers don’t need to rent cylinders or produce waste consignment notes as everything is done for them.

During a recent reclaim at a Bristol Water site, the Reclaim with Confidence service recovered 50kg of refrigerant in just three hours total time on site. This compares with typically a day’s labour if an installation team were to do the job themselves. When the cost of renting cylinders for recovering refrigerant and returning it to the wholesaler directly is also factored in, Reclaim with Confidence is available at about 31%* of the total cost to the installer if they were to do the job themselves.

Health and safety aspects affecting the technology (if any)

Reclaim with Confidence is a refrigerant recovery service for all F-Gases, ensuring refrigerant can
be recovered safely and efficiently from systems and removed from site for reclaiming. This gas can
be analysed, cleaned, rebalanced and separated as required to ensure as much as possible is available for future use.

The recovery machine can be wheeled into place or deployed directly from the vehicle, using a hose up to 250 feet long, giving complete flexibility for any site conditions.

The service can be arranged for all refrigerants and customers can be confident that refrigerant is recovered and reclaimed to AHRI700 standard for future use in the market.

Environmental or sustainable benefits

The Partner with Confidence initiative proves our commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our industry and demonstrates how Daikin is leading the industry firmly in the right direction of creating a circular economy.

The launch of Certified Reclaimed Refrigerant Allocation in selected VRV ranges, introduction of reclaimed refrigerant to all Commission with Confidence projects, and launch of our new Reclaim with Confidence service will all help to ensure a greater supply of reclaimed refrigerant re-enters the market.

As a general principle, we support the development of a Circular Economy, which aims to design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use and regenerate natural systems. It is about moving away from the ‘take, make, dispose’ approach and away from the consumption of finite resources to a future in which we minimise impact on the world around us.

Customer satisfaction

Recent trials have shown that Reclaim with Confidence makes it quick and easy to recover refrigerant according to best practice, saving almost 70% of time and costs on site. During a recent reclaim at a Bristol Water site, the Reclaim with Conﬁdence service recovered 50kg of refrigerant in three hours total time on site, comparing with typically a day’s labour of a team of installers onsite.

Bristol Water’s three-storey HQ in Bedminster Down has three Daikin VRV IV heat recovery outdoor units, with total capacity of 40hp. These serve 25 indoor units, including concealed ceiling units (medium static pressure) and under-ceiling cassettes. The system is charged with 45-50kg of R410A.

After four years’ service, one of the outdoor units needed work, demanding recovery of the entire refrigerant charge so that the component could be changed. But a charge of this size would require the hire of two reclaim cylinders at around £150, plus almost a day on site to complete using a normal recovery machine.

Daikin called in A-Gas Rapid Recovery to deliver the Reclaim with Confidence service. The A-Gas Rapid Recovery vehicle arrived on site at 08:30 and after accessing the units on the roof, positioning the vehicle and pulling 100 feet of hose up to the roof, its crew removed the Schrader
valves and connected the recovery lines.

The lines were connected to the three gauge ports on one of the modules, and refrigerant recovery mode was activated on all three linked modules. The crew started their onboard petrol driven recovery machine at 09:20 and in the next 60 minutes they recovered 38.5kg of R410A.

At this point, the machine was switched off. The system pressure at that time was zero psi and as the accumulators had iced up because of the evaporation, they were sprayed with hot water and left for 30 minutes for the remaining refrigerant to boil off.

Once the system pressure had risen, the reclaim machine was run for a further 20 minutes during which another 6.6kg of R410A was recovered and the system pressure then dropped to -10 inch Hg.

The A-Gas Rapid Recovery crew disconnected their lines, packed up and left the site at 11.40. By midday, the component could then be removed and replaced and the system recharged with fresh gas.

Savings amounted to around one day on-site, as well as avoiding the need to hire cylinders, while the gas was recovered according to best practice so that it could be reclaimed to AHRI700 standard for future use, with zero impact on the refrigerant quota.”