F-gases

It is only recently that air conditioning has become relatively common in German buildings. The high standard of living has ramped up expectations concerning comfort and convenience in the home and particularly at the workplace, and this in turn has increased energy demand. The refrigerants used in more than 95 percent of Germany’s air conditioners strongly affect the climate.

Heat pumps are coming into increasing use for heating of buildings and for hot water production in commercial as well as industrial applications. Heat pumps use natural heat in a very energy-efficient way.

According to the VDMA, around 36,500 centralized refrigeration systems and over 540,000 plug-in refrigeration units were installed in German supermarkets, discounter, hypermarkets and other food retail stores in 2017. Fluorinated refrigerants are still the most common in existing systems.

As a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Germany is required to elaborate annual emission inventories, including for fluorinated greenhouse gases.

Fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases, i.e. partially fluorinated hydrocarbons, fully fluorinated hydrocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride and nitrogen trifluoride) are used for purposes such as refrigerants, foam blowing agents in certain foam products, and insulating gas in switchgears. Some of these substances have an extremely high Global Warming Potential.

Fluorinated greenhouse gases and CFC are governed by international environmental treaties (Kyoto Protocol, Montreal Protocol) whose internationally, legally binding guidelines are implemented by European regulations and directives. Further legislation was enacted to achieve EU environmental protection goals. The body of European guidelines is complemented by national laws and regulations.

Substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) which deplete the ozone layer have long been subject to an international phase-down on their production and use. In 2016 the international community took steps to phase down another group of substances that are particularly damaging to the climate – hydrofluorocarbons (HFC).