DENR revises code for refrigeration, aircon industries

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has launched a new code that sets Earth-friendly standards and practices for manufacturers, dealers, and sellers of refrigerators and air conditioners in the Philippines.

The new code of practice for the refrigeration and air conditioning sector is a revision of the original code crafted in 2002 incorporating new practices and technologies that leave less carbon footprint on the environment, the DENR said.

In a statement, Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) director Juan Miguel Cuna said the 2002 code was revised to guide the refrigeration and air conditioning industry 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 said.

The EMB introduced the new code in a ceremony at the Quezon City Sports Club attended by participants from the industry, including manufacturers, importers, dealers, sellers and service providers of refrigerators and air conditioners.

The event was organized by the National CFC (chlorofluorocarbons) Phase-out Plan-Project Management Unit of the EMB.

A core group of technical experts, who worked on the revisions, presented the salient points of the revised code at the launch.

Copies of the new code were also turned over to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), headed by Joel Villanueva, and the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Technicians Association of the Philippines (Ractap).

The Tesda will integrate the revised code in its curriculum for refrigeration and air conditioning servicing courses.

The Ractap, a newly-formed organization, 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 code as part of the efforts toward an “ODS (ozone-depleting substances)-free Philippines.”

The revised code contains new standard practices on the conversion of refrigerants and the use of alternatives to CFCs and other ODS, as well as on handling, storage, recovery, recycling, collection, transport and disposal of refrigerants.

Cuna advised the public to buy only products that have been certified CFC-free, and to go only to service shops, technicians and dealers that are duly accredited by regulatory agencies.

The Philippines has been implementing the total phaseout 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 on the list, will be phased out gradually starting this year and will be completely banned by 2040.