DENR issues new guidelines for refrigeration and air-conditioning industry

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has issued new guidelines for the refrigeration and air-conditioning industry after the phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons  (CFCs) and some other ozone-depleting substances (ODS).

The new Code of Practice (COP) for the refrigeration and air-conditioning sector revises the original code crafted in 2002 to incorporate practices and technologies of the present time and help  save the environment.

Environmental Management Bureau Director Juan Miguel  Cuna said the COP was revised to guide the affected sector on updated  procedures and complement shifting technologies.

“It is time to upgrade procedures on refrigeration and air conditioning. With advancement in technology come the need to introduce new practices that would enable us not only to protect but  also to prevent damage to the environment,” he stressed.

He said a core group of technical experts had been  working on the revisions since mid-2012. Members of the core group  presented the salient points of the revised COP during the launch.

Cuna also advised the public to patronize products which have been certified CFC-free, as well as service shops,  technicians, dealers and the like that are duly accredited by concerned agencies.                

The Philippines has been implementing the total  phase-out of ODS in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems,  including industrial, mobile and residential types, as part of its  commitment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete  the Ozone Layer.                

As of 2010, the country has already completely phased out production and consumption of seven out of eight ODS, including CFCs which are widely used as refrigerants.

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons  or HCFCs, the last ODS in the list, will be phased out gradually starting this year and will be completely banned by 2040.                

A copy of the new COP was also turned over to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), headed by director-general Joel Villanueva, and the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Technicians Association of the Philippines (RACTAP).                

The TESDA will integrate the revised COP in its curriculum for refrigeration and air-conditioning servicing courses.                

On the other hand, the RACTAP, a newly-formed organization whose officers were introduced during the launch, will  use the material as reference guide for its registered members.

Its members also signed a pledge of commitment to adopt the guidelines in  the revised COP as part of the efforts toward an ODS-free  Philippines.            

The revised COP includes topics on conversion of refrigerants and use of alternatives to CFCs and other ODS, as well as on handling, storage, recovery, recycling, collection, transport and  disposal of refrigerants.