The L∞P by Daikin programme is set to increase sustainability gains in Europe, with 250,000kg of virgin refrigerant production being avoided yearly thanks to this circular economy initiative.
In 2019, Daikin UK first introduced the use of reclaimed refrigerant allocated to VRV IV+ systems and VRV IV S-series units during production, as part of its Partner with Confidence programme. The initial quantity of reclaimed refrigerant allocated to these units avoided more than 300,000 tons of CO2eq from being generated in the production of virgin refrigerant.
Now Daikin Europe is expanding its circular economy approach to all VRV units manufactured and sold across Europe from November 2020 under the mantel of L∞P by Daikin, thus expanding on the reclaimed refrigeration initiatives first launched as part of the Partner with Confidence programme in the UK.
The L∞P by Daikin programme will save 250,000kg of virgin refrigerant from being produced yearly by giving access to recovered and reclaimed refrigerant. Independent certification guarantees that the reclaimed refrigerant fully meets quality standards and is correctly allocated to certified L∞P by Daikin VRV units.
An independent audit process guarantees that the reclaimed refrigerant meets the exact same quality standards as virgin refrigerant. This process also ensures the correct administrative allocation of the reclaimed refrigerant: for every certified L∞P by Daikin unit on the market, there is an equivalent 100% reclaimed refrigerant used at Daikin’s factories.
The key principles of the programme are simple: Daikin recovers refrigerants from existing systems through its installer network, upcycles and reclaims them to virgin quality, and then allocates the reclaimed refrigerants to new VRV systems manufactured and sold across Europe. Specifically, L∞P by Daikin will now cover all EU member states, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
The programme is a perfect example of a circular economy, leveraging the entire Daikin ecosystem and its business partners across Europe. In total, L∞P by Daikin will save 250,000kg of virgin refrigerant from being produced yearly. Daikin plans to expand the programme to other products and refrigerants as part of its global refrigerant policy.
“L∞P by Daikin is a perfect example of a circular economy,” says George Dimou, VRV product manager of Daikin Europe. “We work every day to make our products as energy-efficient as possible, improve the sustainability of our products and to motivate all of our partners and customers to join forces to reduce carbon emissions. The responsible use of materials is an integral part of this ambition. L∞P by Daikin showcases just that. By eliminating resource depletion, we save tonnes of virgin refrigerant and reduce our impact on the environment.”
Innovative projects such as L∞P by Daikin, which have a tangible impact on natural resource use, are one of the HVAC-R industry’s contributions to the fight against material waste. Furthermore, the reuse of reclaimed refrigerant has no impact on the F-gas Regulation quota and supports the growth of the HVAC-R industry in a sustainable way.
‘Potential to become an industry standard’
Daikin will continue to invest in its L∞P by Daikin programme as part of its sustainable strategy. The company is committed to further expanding the programme in the short term to cover more types of refrigerants and different product ranges.
“We extend a hand to all of our partners, installers and customers to join forces and pave the way to a circular economy. By doing so, investing in reclaimed refrigerant boosts business and reduces our environmental impact. We believe the L∞P by Daikin principle has the potential to become an industry standard, and will hopefully inspire other HVAC-R manufacturers,” concludes Toshitaka Tsubouchi, vice-president of Daikin Europe.
For more information on L∞P by Daikin, please visit www.daikin.eu/loop-by-daikin
