Missing the point

It’s funny how, no matter how many times you repeat the same message, some people only read out of an article what they want to read from it and learn nothing at all.

Since before the F-Gas Works campaign started I think I’ve been pretty clear and consistent in my message – different refrigerants will work best and more efficiently than others in different applications: very much an example of “horses for courses”.

Yet in last week’s H&V News online magazine the spokesperson for Eurammon, an excellent European body representing the ammonia industry and one which AREA works with frequently, apparently hit back at claims I’ve made suggesting that HFCs are more efficient.

For the record, I’ve never made such a bold or baseless claim as that. What I said was that “HFCs are the most energy efficient gas available to us for small to medium duty applications.” And I stand by that claim because I’ve seen research results that demonstrate this is so.

I’m being portrayed as an HFC champion, but I’m not trying to claim that HFCs are always best. It’s about time that some other industry bodies stopped being so dogmatic in their statements and face the reality that their sector is not always best for all applications – this is one of the things that I love about the R&AC industry, that we have a huge variety of ways of achieving our targets in terms of design and installation.

This is what keeps it interesting and dynamic.

Hopefully, when all the sectors of the industry are talking as one and acknowledging each others strengths, then industry can talk as one to the political classes and civil servants in Europe as well as at home and give them a proper balanced picture from which they can formulate policy.

This is the purpose of the summit occurring in a few weeks time.

Shortsighted protectionist lobbying only serves to mislead and provides a disservice to the industry.