32 ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • Industry News Compliance Without Complexity: Why Rittal Chose R-1234yf Here, we explain why Rittal has selected R-1234yf for its Blue e+ and Blue e+ S enclosure cooling units - and what this means when specifying cooling for Irish installations. The Global Warming Potential (GWP) varies for each option and will inevitably influence that decision, particularly as regulators continue to reduce the use and availability of higher-GWP refrigerants. In the Republic of Ireland, Regulation (EU) 2024/573 introduces increasingly tight restrictions on fluorinated greenhouse gases, including GWP limits for specified categories of new cooling equipment placed on the EU market. From 1 January 2027, a GWP limit below 150 applies to new self-contained air-conditioning equipment and chillers with a rated capacity of up to and including 12 kW, subject to the regulation’s sitespecific safety exceptions. For manufacturers, panel builders and plant operators in the Republic of Ireland, changing EU F-Gas requirements are bringing refrigerant selection into sharper focus. Choosing enclosure cooling now means considering not only cooling performance and energy consumption, but also the requirements applying to new equipment placed on the EU market. These regulatory changes explain why GWP matters, although the refrigerant still has to work effectively within the finished cooling unit. Why Rittal selected R-1234yf for enclosure cooling units We have chosen to use R-1234yf within our award-winning Blue e+ and Blue e+ S cooling-unit units following our assessment of the refrigerant's environmental impact and its effectiveness/suitability for industrial enclosure cooling. R-1234yf has a GWP of 4, which places it comfortably below the GWP 150 threshold that applies to relevant categories of new cooling equipment under the EU regulation from January 2027. The refrigerant also carries an A2L safety classification under ASHRAE 34 and ISO 817, meaning it has lower toxicity with mild flammability (our R-1234yf cooling 58 ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • New R-1234yf blue e+ units now availab New Rules of Play for Refrigerants It is a clear move to boost climate protection – from 1 January 2027, the EU is restricting the use of refrigerants in cooling units and chillers with cooling capacities up to 12 kW. From that date on, only cooling units containing a refrigerant with a global warming potential (GWP) lower than 150 may be placed on the market. From 2032, the use of refrigerants containing F-gases will also be prohibited in these products. From 2027, new chillers with a cooling output above 12 kW must only contain refrigerants that have a GWP below 750. Other regulations around the world, such as in the USA, have specified a GWP of 700 for the refrigerants used in this type of equipment since 2025. All this poses a challenge for machine and plant manufacturers, who need to make sure the cooling systems they use are fit In 2027, new rules covering the use of refrigerants in climate control equipment come into force in the EU – with implications for the mechanical and plant engineering sector. To future-proof themselves, companies need to rethink their approach now. Rittal is showing how to switch successfully to modern refrigerants – with no need for complex system changes. for the future and comply with legislation – and sooner rather than later. THE RIGHT CHOICE The key issue is choosing an appropriate refrigerant. The lower the GWP, the more environmentally friendly the refrigerant is – but the more challenging from a safety perspective, too. That’s because a refrigerant’s flammability increases as its GWP drops. Many of the new substances are flammable, so special safety measures are needed. Rittal responded quickly in 2024, switching all its cooling units and chillers over to the refrigerant R-513A, which has a GWP of 631. Starting in the first quarter of 2026, Rittal is taking the next step – switching its entire Blue e+ cooling unit portfolio to the refrigerant R-1234yf, which has a GWP of just 0.5. The Blue e+ chillers will follow suit in the second quarter. As a result, Rittal climate control units will comply with the regulations right up to 2032. Rittal will also act in good time to offer appropriate solutions that will meet the requirements taking effect in 2032. ASSESSED AS LOW RISK Although the refrigerant R-1234yf is flammable, it only ignites at temperatures above 400 degrees Celsius, so it is categorised as mildly flammable (safety classification A2L). The risk analysis conducted by Rittal units comply with EN/IEC 603352-40 safety requirements for these systems). Despite changing the refrigerant, we are still able to offer the renowned operating principles behind our Blue e+ technology. Our R-1234yf Blue e+ units continue to employ a combination of compressor cooling with heatpipe operation, allowing the units to reduce their compressor use when ambient conditions permit for maximum energy efficiency with optimum cooling. This principle is a key consideration, because a refrigerant’s GWP describes its potential climate impact in the event of a release. But that’s not the only climaterelated issue associated with enclosure cooling. The electricity consumed throughout a cooling unit's working life also has an environmental impact, as well as an operating cost.
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