Meeting The Challenges Today And Tomorrow

Honeywell's HFC products also provide an answer to the new environmental challenge facing the industry, that of controlling the emission of gases that contribute to global warming, the 'greenhouse effect', and lead to climate change.

Refrigeration and air-conditioning installations have an indirect effect on global warming through their consumption of electricity, which is generally produced by burning fossil fuels in processes that emit CO₂, the principal greenhouse gas. They also contribute directly through refrigerant leakage from poorly maintained installations or from units from which refrigerant has not been recovered at the end of their life cycle.

Today, this adverse effect on global warming is being countered by the development of more efficient installations and the adoption of more efficient refrigerants such as HFCs. In addition to being intrinsically safer products compared to 'natural refrigerants' such as hydrocarbons and ammonia, Genetron® 507 and Genetron® 410A contribute to the substantial reduction in global warming being attained by the use of HFCs.

Honeywell focuses on developing products that lower operating costs, increase energy efficiency and thereby contribute indirectly to a reduction of CO₂ emissions. The company is also actively helping to achieve maximum safety and environmental performance by working with customers to aid system improvements that can deliver further energy efficiencies. Furthermore, Honeywell provides technical support in the conversion of HCFC operating systems to HFC refrigerants, and promotes responsible care in the servicing of equipment to control emissions.

This ongoing Honeywell programme involves the company's close co-operation with many of the industry's leading OEMs in providing support in system research and development, manufacturing plant conversion and training.