Wednesday 19 April 2023

Heat pumps: why natural refrigerants are better for decarbonisation

What are refrigerants?

Refrigerants are the working fluid at the heart of the heat generation cycle in heat pumps. Every heat pump uses one of two kinds: chemical or natural refrigerants.

What’s a chemical refrigerant?

A chemical refrigerant is one which doesn’t occur
naturally. In the past, both Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) have been used as refrigerants. While they both performed efficiently in this role, they were found to be highly harmful to the environment.

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