The Green Cooling Association (GCA) is an environmental organisation dedicated to the promotion of responsible refrigeration and air-conditioning practices. Their members include individuals who are committed to developing environmental sustainable refrigerant solutions. Although the GCA is based in Australia, supporters from New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, the Asian region, Africa, the Americas and Europe are encouraged to join.
The reduction in use of harmful fluorocarbon refrigerants is pivotal to tackling the problem of climate change. Previous attempts have involved improving methods of containment; however, these have proved insufficient.
More effective genuinely climate friendly refrigerant solutions are urgently required worldwide and natural refrigerants provide an environmentally friendly solution.
Ammonia: A natural refrigerant
Ammonia is a naturally occurring compound that is essential for many biological processes. It is one of the most abundant gases in the environment, the majority of which is produced from the natural breakdown of decaying animal and plant matter and can be found in water, soil and air. Once produced ammonia has an atmospheric life of less than seven days as it is rapidly reabsorbed for a variety of biological processes.
These criteria make ammonia an ideal natural resource for the process of refrigeration. The gas is an environmentally compatible refrigerant because it has an ozone depletion potential (ODP) and a global warming potential (GWP) of zero, and is the only known refrigerant with these statistics. Ammonia requires less energy for the process of cooling due to its superior thermodynamic properties.
Finally, Ammonia refrigeration has an excellent safety record.
It is essential that the use of natural refrigerants is developed and promoted as a response to climate change and immediate implementation of the most effective emission reduction strategies is crucial.
The Green Cooling Asssociation also supports measures to reduce the emissions of other harmful greenhouse gases. For further information about the work that they do please visit their website.
