ASHRAE Journal - December 2019 - 32

TECHNICAL FEATURE

Utility rebates are typically only offered for
FIGURE 3 Comprehensive retirement, recovery, and recycling program.15
operable systems (with refrigerant still in the
system). There are some recycle centers that
offer cash and will pick up systems, and other
recycle centers will take appliances for a small
Coordinate Pickup of
Receive HVAC
Recover Refrigerant
fee. HVAC technicians often handle the cost of
Expired Equipment
Equipment Into
And Bank for Future
Inventory
Customer Use
disposing of air conditioners or refrigerators
when new ones are purchased. With any disposal process, it is important to ask what happens with the air conditioner after removal.
Remove and Inventory
Disassemble Expired
Submit Landfill
Reclaim of the refrigerant is required by law;
Equipment <2 Years Old
Equipment and Sort
Avoidance Report
however, recycling the components is not.
All Materials
To Customer
Best practice is to use a service company or
recycling center that manages disposal responsibly.
HVAC systems.
As mentioned previously, efficiency and proper main* Ensure reuse and recycle of HVAC components.
tenance are also significant factors for environmental
* One example of a reuse and recycle stream is deimpact. Best practices are to purchase higher-efficiency
tailed in Figure 3.
equipment as electric consumption over the life of an
Upon arrival at the reclaim facility, an equipment
appliance are still the largest impact from a life cycle
disposal record is initiated, including the customcost analysis. Higher efficiency units have other advaner's name, location from which the equipment was
tages as well. According to one study, purchasing a 14
extracted, manufacturer, and model and serial numseasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) residential air
ber. As soon as possible, the refrigerant is removed
conditioner over a 12 seasonal energy efficiency ratio
from each refrigerant circuit, weighed, and recorded
unit reduces the net CO2e by 6% over the life span of
by a certified EPA recovery technician using certithe unit because of reduced leakage during operation.13
fied EPA recovery equipment. The refrigerant can
Microchannel heat exchangers (sometimes in highbe banked for future use or sold, both of which can
efficiency units) use less refrigerant, which also reduces provide a financial benefit to the owner. Next, if applithe life cycle impact of residential units.13 However, the
cable, technicians inspect the equipment for reusable
biggest impact for higher efficiency systems is still due
parts, remove those parts, and enter them into invento reduced energy consumption during typical operatory for the customer's future use. Finally, the unit is
tion as shown in Figure 1. Maintaining the equipment
disassembled, and parts are sorted and weighed for
so it runs at the appropriate efficiency and reduces the
recycling. Every step of this disposal process is docuchance for refrigerant leakage is also a best practice to
mented, providing proof to the original owner the
reduce environmental impact. Reducing the release of
equipment was disposed of in a regulatory-compliant
refrigerants throughout the life of air conditioning and
fashion following sustainable practices. Further picrefrigeration equipment is covered by ASHRAE Standard tures of an example site are shown in Figure 4.
147.14
Some recycling companies have been able to make
Commercial System Retirement. The best practice for the waste stream of HVAC systems cash positive, meanmanaging commercial HVAC systems is to proactively
ing the building owner receives money for proactively
replace them before they fail, which allows time to prop- replacing systems. According to one recycling company,
erly plan and optimize the process and avoids expensive "companies that can recycle 50 tons (of cooling capacemergency replacements. Most large portfolio owners
ity) at a time will often find they get paid to recycle
have a proactive replacement policy; although each is
as long as the systems contain refrigerant." (Personal
unique, they all have the same basic principles.
interview, March 5, 2018). Bottom line: It benefits build* Plan when to remove HVAC systems (usually at
ing owners to think about their system's end-of-life
15-20 years).
plan to reduce the burden of replacement. Some pilots
* Resize (usually downsize) and upgrade the new
are also attempting to provide a net positive cash flow
32

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