Oasis Energy Solutions

R-32 refrigerant for AC Systems and Heat Pumps

Alex Rittener — Tue, 23 May 2017 14:13:11 +0000

As the only manufacturer that develops and manufactures both air conditioners and refrigerants, Daikin launched the world’s first residential-use air conditioner using R-32 refrigerant.

Refrigerant Trends

Various refrigerants have been used in air conditioners until now. Regulations have increasingly become stricter from greater consideration for the global environment because of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 and the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. This has resulted in a shift to refrigerants with even lower environmental impact.

Although the mainstream refrigerant R-410A has an ozone depletion potential (ODP) of zero, its global warming potential (GWP) still remains an issue.

While R-32 also has an ozone depletion potential of zero, the refrigerant has only approximately 1/3 of the GWP of R-410A. Consequently, investigation of this promising next generation refrigerant has increased.

However, because R-32 had been an extremely difficult refrigerant to handle, its use was not practical until now. Daikin became the world’s first company to succeed in applying R-32 to air conditioners by leveraging its expertise as the only manufacturer that develops and manufactures both air conditioners and refrigerants.

Currently, R-410A is the refrigerant most commonly used in developed countries. However, if all R-410A were converted to R-32, the impact to global warming from HFCs in 2030 would be reduced by the CO2 equivalent of approximately 800 million tons (19%) compared to the continued use of R-410A.*2

*1)
Values for 100 year global warming potential (GWP) from IPCC Fourth Assessment Report. Comparative 100 year GWP: HFC410A, 2,090; HFC32, 675.
*2)
Daikin calculations based on thesis, Velders et al, PNAS (2009), World Meteorological Organization (WMO) library.

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10% off on new maintenance contracts throughout November

Alex Rittener — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 13:03:03 +0000

Oasis Energy Solutions are currently offering a 10% discount on all new maintenance contracts signed before 1st of December 2015.

By having such a contract you will benefit from the following:

Increased performance of the unit (i.e. higher efficiency and lower power consumption).
Increased life expectancy of the unit.
Less downtime of the unit due to failure of parts.
Keeps repair bills to a minimum.
Maintains clean, hygienic system using specialist cleaning products.

We both hope and believe this will be of interest and look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards
The Oasis after-sales team

La entrada 10% off on new maintenance contracts throughout November se publicó primero en Oasis Energy Solutions.

What is happening to R-22 refrigerant?

moon — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 12:51:28 +0000

[:en]We have been bombarded with questions lately about the present and future prognosis for machinery using the controversial R22 refrigerant… This is a brief summary:

The situation regarding all hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), including the refrigerant gas R22, is that as of 1st January 2015 its use will be illegal within the EU due to European regulations.

R22 refrigerant is commonly found in refrigeration systems, notably air conditioning units and heat pumps (both for swimming pools and for space heating). Whilst it has not been used in new systems since 2004, it became most significantly affected within the EU in 2010, when it was no longer able to be bought as new, and could only be used or bought as reclaimed or recycled. Over the last 4 years it has become increasingly harder and more expensive to come by.

So what happens to units with R22 refrigerant after 1st January 2015?
As after this date units cannot be topped up with R22 in any of its guises – new, recycled or even reclaimed – there leaves only 2 possibilities:

1. Replace the unit, or
2. Use a replacement refrigerant

There are a variety of factors to consider about what to do in the event of a breakdown of a unit using R22 refrigerant, such as:
· Age of the unit
· Likelihood of future recurrence
· Cost of the repair
· Availability of spare parts if required for future breakdowns
· Manufacturer’s advice regarding compatibility of their system with replacement refrigerants

Our advice is to base one’s decision on the cost of the repair in hand. If relatively inexpensive to replace the refrigerant, then it is worth doing, however, with manufacturers not required to maintain stocks of units beyond 10 years of their date of manufacture, it must be recognised and taken into consideration that the next breakdown could be irreparable due to lack of availability of spare parts. To avoid throwing good money after bad, unless relatively inexpensive, we would generally recommend to our customers that they would probably benefit in the medium and long term by opting for a replacement system. Here are some of the benefits of this strategy:

– Higher reliability of new systems
– Higher efficiency / energy savings
– Lower service costs / warranty on system
– Reduced carbon footprint

La entrada What is happening to R-22 refrigerant? se publicó primero en Oasis Energy Solutions.

2012: A year of transition? (June 2013)

moon — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:34:47 +0000

[:en]Det siste kvartalet 2011 signifiserte et vannkilde øyeblikk for Oasis. Vi er svært stolte over å ha vært det eneste lokale bygningsfirmaet som skal bli kontrahert for vår mest prestisjefylte installasjon til dags dato; den av Apple Store i La Cañada (Marbella). Andre selskaper kom fra så langt unna som Sverige. Bortsett fra å være et ekstremt interessant prosjekt for å være involvert i å bli tildelt kontrakten, bekreftet at vårt engasjement for høye standarder innen ingeniørløsninger, personell og fullt kvalifisert og autorisert av Næringsdepartementet er verdt. 2012 har sett de viktigste endringene for Oasis de siste 5 årene. Bøyet av henting i virksomheten flyttet vi inn i våre nye lokaler i Marbella (San Pedro industriområde). Over dobbelt størrelse og i hjertet av området dekker vi (San Roque til Málaga), med så mange av våre kunder nå innen 15 minutter fra inngangsdøren vår. Det vi ser er på boligfronten, og kjøperne begynner å se igjen for å kjøpe og renovere eiendommer på Costa del Sol, og kommersielle kunder føler at stormen har blitt forvitret og at investeringer i infrastruktur kan begrunnes med komforten som middels og langsiktig planlegging er realistisk igjen. Vi har styrket teamet med rekruttering av Arelis Casas, for å drive administrasjonen, og Yulian Georgiev som installasjonsingeniør. Hva betyr alt dette for Oasis kunder? • Nær hånden: Oasis er nå innen 15 minutter av ca 80% av våre kunder. • Rigorøs forpliktelse til høye standarder: Arbeide med noen av de mest krevende arkitekter, ingeniører og prosjektledere i installasjonen av Apple Store. • Verdi for pengene: Vårt engasjement for å gi valuta for pengene og fortsette vår vekst har vist oss å holde en så stram på kostnader som i år har vi redusert kostnadene våre til det laveste beløpet i vår historie.[:es]El último trimestre de 2011 significó un momento decisivo para Oasis. Estamos muy orgullosos de haber sido la única empresa local de servicios de construcción contratada para nuestra instalación más prestigiosa hasta la fecha; el de The Apple Store en La Cañada (Marbella). Otras compañías vinieron de lugares tan lejanos como Suecia. Además de ser un proyecto extremadamente interesante para involucrarse, ser adjudicado el contrato confirmó que vale la pena nuestro compromiso con altos estándares en soluciones de ingeniería, personal y estar totalmente calificado y autorizado por el Ministerio de Industria. 2012 ha visto los cambios más importantes para Oasis de los últimos 5 años. Alentados por la recuperación en los negocios, nos mudamos a nuestras nuevas instalaciones en Marbella (polígono industrial de San Pedro). Más del doble de tamaño y en el corazón de la zona que cubrimos (San Roque a Málaga), con muchos de nuestros clientes ahora a 15 minutos de nuestra puerta de entrada. Lo que estamos viendo es en el frente residencial, los compradores comienzan a buscar nuevamente para comprar y renovar propiedades en la Costa del Sol, y los clientes comerciales sienten que la tormenta ha sido erosionada y que invertir en infraestructura se puede justificar con la comodidad que la planificación a largo plazo es realista de nuevo. Hemos fortalecido el equipo con la contratación de Arelis Casas, para dirigir la administración, y Yulian Georgiev como ingeniero de instalación. ¿Qué significa todo esto para los clientes de Oasis? • Cerca de la mano: Oasis está ahora a 15 minutos de aproximadamente el 80% de nuestros clientes. • Compromiso riguroso con altos estándares: trabajando con algunos de los arquitectos, ingenieros y gerentes de proyecto más exigentes en la instalación de Apple Store. • Relación calidad-precio: nuestro compromiso de ofrecer una buena relación calidad-precio y continuar con nuestro crecimiento nos ha permitido mantener un control tan estricto sobre los costos, ya que este año hemos reducido nuestros cargos a la cantidad más baja de nuestra historia.[:no]Det siste kvartalet 2011 signifiserte et vannkilde øyeblikk for Oasis. Vi er svært stolte over å ha vært det eneste lokale bygningsfirmaet som skal bli kontrahert for vår mest prestisjefylte installasjon til dags dato; den av Apple Store i La Cañada (Marbella). Andre selskaper kom fra så langt unna som Sverige. Bortsett fra å være et ekstremt interessant prosjekt for å være involvert i å bli tildelt kontrakten, bekreftet at vårt engasjement for høye standarder innen ingeniørløsninger, personell og fullt kvalifisert og autorisert av Næringsdepartementet er verdt. 2012 har sett de viktigste endringene for Oasis de siste 5 årene. Bøyet av henting i virksomheten flyttet vi inn i våre nye lokaler i Marbella (San Pedro industriområde). Over dobbelt størrelse og i hjertet av området dekker vi (San Roque til Málaga), med så mange av våre kunder nå innen 15 minutter fra inngangsdøren vår. Det vi ser er på boligfronten, og kjøperne begynner å se igjen for å kjøpe og renovere eiendommer på Costa del Sol, og kommersielle kunder føler at stormen har blitt forvitret og at investeringer i infrastruktur kan begrunnes med komforten som middels og langsiktig planlegging er realistisk igjen. Vi har styrket teamet med rekruttering av Arelis Casas, for å drive administrasjonen, og Yulian Georgiev som installasjonsingeniør. Hva betyr alt dette for Oasis kunder? • Nær hånden: Oasis er nå innen 15 minutter av ca 80% av våre kunder. • Rigorøs forpliktelse til høye standarder: Arbeide med noen av de mest krevende arkitekter, ingeniører og prosjektledere i installasjonen av Apple Store. • Verdi for pengene: Vårt engasjement for å gi valuta for pengene og fortsette vår vekst har vist oss å holde en så stram på kostnader som i år har vi redusert kostnadene våre til det laveste beløpet i vår historie.[:]

La entrada 2012: A year of transition? (June 2013) se publicó primero en Oasis Energy Solutions.

Do you want the good news or the bad news? (Jan 2011)

Alex Rittener — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 13:56:21 +0000

[:en]So, let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Once again, electricity prices have been increased. From the beginning of January this year, the state electricity price that applies to about 17 million households in Spain was increased by another 9.8%. This is part of a global trend, and energy prices generally will continue to soar over the coming years. It is why at Oasis, we are big believers in energy efficiency and renewable energy. As prices continue to increase, they are going to really eat into people’s disposable income. For most of us, the increases thus far have been an inconvenience, rather anything more serious. Unfortunately, that is beginning to change. Not only, we do have increased energy prices, but inflation is just beginning to take hold across the globe. Food and commodity prices are rising dramatically, although they haven’t filtered through yet to the retail environment. Soon, we will start to notice substantial differences in prices when we go shopping.

Enough of the bad news! The good news is that the government grants for renewable energy are back up and running again for 2011. There is an annual quota set aside for grants and last year, we did a lot of solar installations, whereby we were able to pass on typical discounts of 40-50% to our clients. However, we had a lot of people coming to us in the latter stages of the year looking into solar and renewable energy installations, only to find out that the grants had run out for the year.

What’s more, we don’t know what the annual quota is, and it wouldn’t surprise us at all if the quota had been reduced, due to the state of public finances. Therefore, if it is something of interest, then it’s worth acting sooner rather than later. We would also just like to remind people once again that the grants can only be acquired through an installation company – like Oasis – that has the full accreditation from the ‘Junta de Andalucia’.

[:es]So, let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Once again, electricity prices have been increased. From the beginning of January this year, the state electricity price that applies to about 17 million households in Spain was increased by another 9.8%. This is part of a global trend, and energy prices generally will continue to soar over the coming years. It is why at Oasis, we are big believers in energy efficiency and renewable energy. As prices continue to increase, they are going to really eat into people’s disposable income. For most of us, the increases thus far have been an inconvenience, rather anything more serious. Unfortunately, that is beginning to change. Not only, we do have increased energy prices, but inflation is just beginning to take hold across the globe. Food and commodity prices are rising dramatically, although they haven’t filtered through yet to the retail environment. Soon, we will start to notice substantial differences in prices when we go shopping.

[:no]So, let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Once again, electricity prices have been increased. From the beginning of January this year, the state electricity price that applies to about 17 million households in Spain was increased by another 9.8%. This is part of a global trend, and energy prices generally will continue to soar over the coming years. It is why at Oasis, we are big believers in energy efficiency and renewable energy. As prices continue to increase, they are going to really eat into people’s disposable income. For most of us, the increases thus far have been an inconvenience, rather anything more serious. Unfortunately, that is beginning to change. Not only, we do have increased energy prices, but inflation is just beginning to take hold across the globe. Food and commodity prices are rising dramatically, although they haven’t filtered through yet to the retail environment. Soon, we will start to notice substantial differences in prices when we go shopping.

[:]

La entrada Do you want the good news or the bad news? (Jan 2011) se publicó primero en Oasis Energy Solutions.

Making your money go further (Jan 2011)

Alex Rittener — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:03:34 +0000

Managing costs is still very much the order of the day and in our world, that means more emphasis on maintenance and efficiency. The Spanish government have just put up electricity prices another 9.8% for the estimated 17 million Spanish households on the “price of last resort” tariff, and energy prices in general continue to soar with inflation. It’s never been so important to have a good running efficient heating/cooling system that’s going to keep your running costs to a minimum whilst also maximising its lifespan potential.

On that basis, we’ve decided to offer all those who have had Oasis installations a special deal on maintenance contracts, providing them with an extra ‘Super Guarantee’ at minimum cost which will then extend the warranty to 5 years. The Super Guarantee will be eligible for all maintenance contracts – both existing or new ones – for any Oasis installation (whether it’s air conditioning, heating or solar) carried out since January 1st 2008. For example, if the existing warranty is valid for 2 years (and in some cases, that means it may have already expired), the Super Guarantee will extend that warranty to 5 years.

The cost of the maintenance contract and the Super Guarantee will of course depend on the type and size of the original installation, so anyone interested will have to get in contact so we can provide you with an accurate quote. Furthermore, we will provide a 20% discount on the Super Guarantee if you take out the maintenance contract and Super Guarantee during the first quarter of 2011.

La entrada Making your money go further (Jan 2011) se publicó primero en Oasis Energy Solutions.

Proper boiler maintenance cannot be underestimated (Jan 2011)

Alex Rittener — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:09:00 +0000

This is the time of the the year our customers call us up needing urgent help because they’ve just turned on the heating again, only to find it doesn’t work. Although we install and repair all types of heating systems, it’s the importance of good boiler maintenance that deserves special attention. We can’t emphasise enough to our clients the importance of good maintenance. Much like we service our cars to save us from much bigger costs further down the line, we need to have the same attitude towards all types of heating & cooling systems.

However, it’s also very important to choose the right company to do your servicing. ‘Which?’ magazine did an investigation into gas engineers in the UK back in 2009. They set up a boiler with a minor fault (and secret cameras) and got 10 different gas engineers around. The results were pretty shocking, this is what they found:

“Of our 10 gas engineers, one gas engineer failed to turn up. Of the other nine gas engineers, three were so bad we reported them to safety watchdog the Gas Safe Register. The Gas Safe Register said that the engineers were negligent, and launched an investigation. It is a legal requirement that anyone carrying out gas work should be on the Gas Safe Register.

What the Which? boiler investigation found:
– Two gas engineers did a very good job
– One gas engineer condemned our boiler and then disconnected the gas – even though it was perfectly safe
– Two gas engineers told us they had carried out checks which we knew they hadn’t done
– Five gas engineers failed to correct the boiler’s gas pressure
– Three gas engineers didn’t check whether our boiler needed cleaning. This is important, as a dirty boiler won’t work efficiently
– All of the gas engineers managed to fix the fault we introduced to stop the boiler working, apart from the one who condemned it – he didn’t get that far.”

We wouldn’t highlight this investigation unless we were sure that we will do the job properly for you. Not only do we have very professional and conscientious technicians that will make sure that the boiler is functioning correctly but we also have the special kit to carry out a proper combustion analysis to ensure that there is no danger from any toxic emissions like carbon monoxide.

La entrada Proper boiler maintenance cannot be underestimated (Jan 2011) se publicó primero en Oasis Energy Solutions.

Rolls Royce and Daikin still the benchmark (Nov 2010)

Alex Rittener — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 12:28:49 +0000

[:en]Our ethos at Oasis is always to focus on the highest quality in everything we do. We make sure that we only employ technicians with the necessary qualifications, extensive knowledge and experience, and a really professional attitude. What’s more, we only install equipment that we know has a reputation for being high quality and reliable. Quite simply, we aim to deliver a better service / product than anyone else.

Sometimes we lose out on opportunities due to this ethos because it means we’re not always going to be the cheapest option available. We’re not the most expensive either…we aim to deliver the best value.

There are still those who don’t fully appreciate that choosing mechanical equipment – particularly when it comes to air conditioning and heating – is a bit like choosing a car. If you go for the cheapest option, then the chances are that you will get the worst quality equipment which will lead to an inefficient system that brings all sorts of costly problems further down the line.

Most of us in the industrialised world don’t buy the cheapest car on the market.
Whilst the look and feel of the car will play a part in the purchasing decision, so will the reliability and quality of the engineering. By and large, you get what you pay for.

However, there is of course the very odd occasion when even the most reliable and reputable equipment might fail and sometimes it’s due to an external fault. I’m reminded of the Quantas flight a couple of days ago that had a major engine failure – a Rolls Royce engine no less!

We had an unfortunate incident recently with a client for whom we had installed a Daikin air conditioning system. Daikin has been our preferred air conditioning brand since we began (although we do install other brands as well, specifically Japanese brands). They are undoubtedly the best and most reliable. However, our client had a nightmare, the Daikin system had a major problem after a couple of years and he was understandably very frustrated. The chances are it was caused by a big fluctuation in the electrical current, something that’s quite common in Spain.

Perhaps the lesson learned is that very occasionally, high expectations can create bigger frustrations, but that won’t put us off always striving to be the Rolls Royce of our field.

[:es]Nuestro espíritu en Oasis es siempre enfocarse en la más alta calidad en todo lo que hacemos. Nos aseguramos de que solo empleamos técnicos con las calificaciones necesarias, amplios conocimientos y experiencia, y una actitud realmente profesional. Además, solo instalamos equipos que sabemos que tienen fama de ser de alta calidad y confiables. En pocas palabras, nuestro objetivo es ofrecer un mejor servicio / producto que cualquier otra persona.

A veces perdemos oportunidades debido a este espíritu, porque significa que no siempre seremos la opción más barata disponible. Tampoco somos los más caros … buscamos ofrecer el mejor valor.

Todavía hay quienes no aprecian por completo que elegir un equipo mecánico, particularmente cuando se trata de aire acondicionado y calefacción, sea como elegir un automóvil. Si opta por la opción más barata, lo más probable es que obtenga los equipos de peor calidad, lo que conducirá a un sistema ineficiente que traerá toda clase de problemas costosos más adelante.

La mayoría de nosotros en el mundo industrializado no compramos el automóvil más barato del mercado.
Si bien la apariencia del automóvil tendrá un papel en la decisión de compra, también lo hará la confiabilidad y la calidad de la ingeniería. En general, obtienes lo que pagas.

Sin embargo, existe por supuesto la muy extraña ocasión en que incluso el equipo más confiable y confiable podría fallar y, a veces, se debe a una falla externa. Me acuerdo del vuelo de Quantas hace un par de días que tuvo una falla importante en el motor: ¡un motor Rolls Royce no menos!

Recientemente tuvimos un desafortunado incidente con un cliente para el que habíamos instalado un sistema de aire acondicionado Daikin. Daikin ha sido nuestra marca preferida de aire acondicionado desde que comenzamos (aunque también instalamos otras marcas, específicamente marcas japonesas). Sin duda son los mejores y más confiables. Sin embargo, nuestro cliente tuvo una pesadilla, el sistema Daikin tuvo un gran problema después de un par de años y estaba comprensiblemente muy frustrado. Lo más probable es que haya sido causado por una gran fluctuación en la corriente eléctrica, algo que es bastante común en España.

Tal vez la lección aprendida es que muy ocasionalmente, las altas expectativas pueden crear mayores frustraciones, pero eso no nos desanimará siempre tratando de ser el Rolls Royce de nuestro campo.[:no]Vårt etos på Oasis er alltid å fokusere på høyeste kvalitet i alt vi gjør. Vi sørger for at vi bare benytter teknikere med nødvendige kvalifikasjoner, omfattende kunnskap og erfaring, og en virkelig profesjonell holdning. I tillegg installerer vi bare utstyr som vi vet har et rykte for å være høy kvalitet og pålitelig. Ganske enkelt, vi tar sikte på å levere en bedre service / produkt enn noen andre.

Noen ganger mister vi muligheter på grunn av dette etos fordi det betyr at vi ikke alltid kommer til å være det billigste alternativet som er tilgjengelig. Vi er heller ikke den dyreste heller … Vi tar sikte på å levere den beste verdien.

Det er fortsatt de som ikke fullt ut forstår at det å velge mekanisk utstyr – spesielt når det gjelder klimaanlegg og oppvarming – er litt som å velge bil. Hvis du går for det billigste alternativet, er sjansene at du får det verste kvalitetsutstyret som vil føre til et ineffektivt system som bringer alle slags kostbare problemer videre nedover linjen.

De fleste av oss i den industrialiserte verden kjøper ikke den billigste bilen på markedet.
Mens utseendet på bilen vil utgjøre en rolle i innkjøpsbeslutningen, vil det også være påliteligheten og kvaliteten på konstruksjonen. I stor grad får du det du betaler for.

Men det er selvsagt veldig merkelig anledning når selv det mest pålitelige og anerkjente utstyret kan mislykkes, og noen ganger skyldes det en ekstern feil. Jeg er påminnet om Quantas-flyet for et par dager siden, som hadde en stor motorfeil – en Rolls Royce-motor ikke mindre!

Vi hadde en uheldig hendelse nylig med en klient for hvem vi hadde installert et Daikin-klimaanlegg. Daikin har vært vår foretrukne air condition merkevare siden vi begynte (selv om vi også installerer andre merker i tillegg, spesielt japanske merker). De er utvilsomt de beste og mest pålitelige. Men vår klient hadde et mareritt, Daikin-systemet hadde et stort problem etter et par år, og han var forståelig nok veldig frustrert. Sjansene er at det var forårsaket av stor svingning i elektrisk strøm, noe som er ganske vanlig i Spania.

Kanskje leksjonen er lært, at høye forventninger kan skape større frustrasjoner, men det vil ikke sette seg av med å alltid være Rolls Royce i vårt felt.[:]

La entrada Rolls Royce and Daikin still the benchmark (Nov 2010) se publicó primero en Oasis Energy Solutions.

Solar and carbon… an unlikely pair.. (Oct 2010)

Alex Rittener — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:23:11 +0000

[:en]One of the most common objections we hear from clients with regards to installing solar energy is that it is still too expensive, even with the substantial grants that we can attain through the government initiative. There is some validity in those objections but of course it does depend on the nature of the requirement and how long term the investment is. With energy prices continually on the rise, and the public finances in very bad shape, it makes a lot of sense to be installing solar energy now whilst the grants are still available.

For those who may object to the idea of taking advantage of the government grants when public finances are in bad shape, it is worth noting that the money for the grants was allocated some time ago and is sitting there waiting to be used specifically for these purposes. So, the allocated money will be used for solar grants one way or another.

However, for those who aren’t in a position to be installing solar yet but would like to do so at some point in the future, then there is a lot of development happening that could make solar much more affordable further down the line, specifically in photovoltaic solar technology, used for electricity. Ironically, it is the much derided ‘carbon’ that could set us on the path to more affordable solar energy.

Scientists have now found that they can use graphene – a form of carbon much like graphite used in pencils – to absorb sunlight instead of silicon. One of the reasons, solar collectors are relatively expensive is because of the silicon used, and carbon is far cheaper than silicon. Although, it is not as efficient as silicon, it is far cheaper and more flexible in its uses. For example, they are already imagining having curtains in properties made of sheets of graphene!

However, don’t put that solar installation on hold because it will be a long time yet before they get these new developments into commercial uses.

[:es]Una de las objeciones más comunes que escuchamos de los clientes con respecto a la instalación de energía solar es que todavía es demasiado costosa, incluso con las importantes subvenciones que podemos obtener a través de la iniciativa del gobierno. Existe cierta validez en esas objeciones, pero por supuesto depende de la naturaleza del requisito y de la duración de la inversión. Con los precios de la energía en constante aumento y las finanzas públicas en muy malas condiciones, tiene mucho sentido instalar energía solar ahora, mientras que las subvenciones aún están disponibles.

Para aquellos que pueden oponerse a la idea de aprovechar las subvenciones del gobierno cuando las finanzas públicas están en mal estado, vale la pena señalar que el dinero para las subvenciones fue asignado hace algún tiempo y está esperando allí para ser utilizado específicamente para estos fines. . Por lo tanto, el dinero asignado se utilizará para subvenciones solares de una forma u otra.

Sin embargo, para aquellos que no están en posición de instalar solar todavía pero les gustaría hacerlo en algún momento en el futuro, entonces hay un gran desarrollo que podría hacer que la energía solar sea mucho más económica más adelante, específicamente en tecnología solar fotovoltaica, utilizada para la electricidad. Irónicamente, es el “carbono” tan ridiculizado que podría ponernos en el camino hacia una energía solar más asequible.

Los científicos ahora han descubierto que pueden usar el grafeno, una forma de carbono muy similar al grafito utilizado en los lápices, para absorber la luz solar en lugar de silicio. Una de las razones, los colectores solares son relativamente caros es debido al silicio utilizado, y el carbono es mucho más barato que el silicio. Aunque no es tan eficiente como el silicio, es mucho más barato y más flexible en sus usos. ¡Por ejemplo, ya están imaginando cortinas en propiedades hechas de láminas de grafeno!

Sin embargo, no coloque la instalación solar en espera porque pasará mucho tiempo antes de que estos nuevos desarrollos se conviertan en usos comerciales.
[:no]En av de vanligste innsigelsene vi hører fra klienter med hensyn til å installere solenergi er at det fremdeles er for dyrt, selv med de betydelige tilskuddene vi kan oppnå gjennom regjeringens initiativ. Det er noen gyldighet i disse innvendingene, men det er selvfølgelig avhengig av kravets art og hvor lenge investeringen er. Med energipriser stadig økende, og de offentlige finansene i svært dårlig form, gir det mye mening å installere solenergi nå mens tilskuddene fremdeles er tilgjengelige.

For de som kan motsette seg ideen om å utnytte statens tilskudd når offentlige finanser er i dårlig form, er det verdt å merke seg at pengene for tilskuddene ble tildelt for en tid siden og sitter der og venter på å bli brukt spesielt for disse formålene . Så de tildelte pengene vil bli brukt til solgodtgjørelser på en eller annen måte.

Men for de som ikke er i stand til å installere solenergi ennå, men vil gjerne gjøre det på et tidspunkt i fremtiden, så skjer det mye utvikling som kan gjøre solen mye rimeligere ytterligere nedover linjen, spesielt i fotovoltaisk solteknologi, brukt til elektrisitet. Ironisk nok er det den mye tålet “karbon” som kan sette oss på vei til mer overkommelig solenergi.

Forskere har nå funnet at de kan bruke grafen – en form for karbon, som grafitt som brukes i blyanter – for å absorbere sollys istedenfor silisium. En av grunnene til at solfangere er relativt dyre, er på grunn av det anvendte silisium, og karbon er langt billigere enn silisium. Selv om det ikke er så effektivt som silisium, er det langt billigere og mer fleksibelt ved bruk. For eksempel tenker de allerede på å ha gardiner i egenskaper laget av ark av grafen!

Du må imidlertid ikke sette den solinstallasjonen på vent fordi det vil vare lang tid før de får den nye utviklingen til kommersiell bruk.

[:]

La entrada Solar and carbon… an unlikely pair.. (Oct 2010) se publicó primero en Oasis Energy Solutions.

Change in EU Law could affect you (Sep 2010)

Alex Rittener — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:00:04 +0000

[:en]Most people are not aware of the changes in EU law regarding the refrigerants used in air conditioning systems, so if you have air conditioning, this is important.

In accordance with EU Regulation (EC) 2037/2000, as of the 31st December 2009, the purchase, use, or storage of virgin refrigerant R22 is not allowed. This is because R22 is an ozone depleting gas. The same thing applies to refrigerant blends using R22, such as R403B (69L), R408A (FX10) and R409A (FX56).

You can still own and operate a system that uses R22 but if you need to add R22 to your system (because you have a leak), you can now only buy reclaimed or recycled R22. However, not only is it increasingly difficult and expensive to get hold of R22 in this manner, it can only be acquired through a properly authorised business like Oasis.

I suspect most AC owners don’t know which refrigerant they have in their system. It is normally stated on the outdoor unit but often that can be difficult for AC owners to access (if it’s high up on a wall or on the roof for example). You may need to contact the manufacturer directly or contact a company like Oasis if you need assistance.

If you do have a system using R22, then there is no need to panic. In the short term, R22 is still available (as explained above) and in the long term, you might be able to continue using your system without a problem for years. If / when that problem arises, that might be the time to convert your system with either ‘Retrofit’ / ‘Drop in’ refrigerants, or indeed, renew your system all together.

That said, if you have a business that’s dependent on fully functional air conditioning, then it might be something you want to address sooner rather than later. If you needed to get hold of R22 further down the line, and it had become phased out completely, you could be without air conditioning all together for a few days/weeks whilst you either convert the system or get a new one installed.

Another important aspect to take into consideration is that some of the AC manufacturers are beginning to stock less spare parts for R22 systems, knowing that they are being phased out.

To summarise, those that have R22 systems will have to do something at some point and it’s much better to be properly informed before taking any action.[:es]La mayoría de las personas no están al tanto de los cambios en la legislación de la UE con respecto a los refrigerantes utilizados en los sistemas de aire acondicionado, por lo que si tiene aire acondicionado, esto es importante.

De acuerdo con el Reglamento (CE) 2037/2000 de la UE, al 31 de diciembre de 2009, la compra, uso o almacenamiento de refrigerante virgen R22 no está permitido. Esto se debe a que R22 es un gas que reduce la capa de ozono. Lo mismo se aplica a las mezclas de refrigerante que usan R22, como R403B (69L), R408A (FX10) y R409A (FX56).

Aún puede tener y operar un sistema que use R22, pero si necesita agregar R22 a su sistema (porque tiene una fuga), ahora solo puede comprar R22 recuperado o reciclado. Sin embargo, no solo es cada vez más difícil y costoso conseguir el R22 de esta manera, sino que solo se puede adquirir a través de un negocio debidamente autorizado como Oasis.

Sospecho que la mayoría de los propietarios de CA no saben qué refrigerante tienen en su sistema. Normalmente se indica en la unidad exterior, pero a menudo puede ser difícil para los propietarios de CA acceder (si está arriba en una pared o en el techo, por ejemplo). Es posible que deba ponerse en contacto con el fabricante directamente o ponerse en contacto con una empresa como Oasis si necesita ayuda.

Si tiene un sistema que usa R22, entonces no hay necesidad de entrar en pánico. A corto plazo, R22 todavía está disponible (como se explicó anteriormente) y, a largo plazo, es posible que pueda continuar utilizando su sistema sin problemas durante años. Si surge ese problema, ese podría ser el momento de convertir su sistema con refrigerantes ‘Retrofit’ / ‘Drop in’ o, de hecho, renovar el sistema todos juntos.

Dicho esto, si tiene un negocio que depende del aire acondicionado totalmente funcional, entonces es posible que desee abordarlo más pronto que tarde. Si necesitara retener el R22 más adelante en la línea, y se hubiera eliminado por completo, podría quedarse sin aire acondicionado durante unos días / semanas mientras o bien convierte el sistema o instala uno nuevo.

Otro aspecto importante a tener en cuenta es que algunos de los fabricantes de CA están empezando a tener menos piezas de repuesto para los sistemas R22, sabiendo que están siendo eliminados.

En resumen, aquellos que tienen sistemas R22 tendrán que hacer algo en algún momento y es mucho mejor estar debidamente informados antes de tomar cualquier medida.[:no]De fleste er ikke klar over endringene i EU-loven om kjølemidler som brukes i klimaanlegg, så hvis du har aircondition, er dette viktig.

I henhold til EUs forordning (EF) 2037/2000, per 31. desember 2009, er ikke kjøp, bruk eller lagring av ukjent kjølemiddel R22 tillatt. Dette skyldes at R22 er en ozonnedbrytende gass. Det samme gjelder kjølemiddelblandinger med R22, for eksempel R403B (69L), R408A (FX10) og R409A (FX56).

Du kan fortsatt eie og drive et system som bruker R22, men hvis du trenger å legge R22 til systemet ditt (fordi du har en lekkasje), kan du nå bare kjøpe gjenvunnet eller resirkulert R22. Det er imidlertid ikke bare vanskeligere og dyrere å få tak i R22 på denne måten, det kan bare kjøpes gjennom en autorisert virksomhet som Oasis.

Jeg mistenker at de fleste AC-eiere ikke vet hvilket kjølemiddel de har i systemet. Det er normalt oppgitt på utendørsenheten, men det kan ofte være vanskelig for AC-eiere å få tilgang (hvis det er høyt oppe på veggen eller på taket for eksempel). Du må kanskje kontakte produsenten direkte eller kontakte et selskap som Oasis hvis du trenger hjelp.

Hvis du har et system som bruker R22, så er det ikke nødvendig å panikk. På kort sikt er R22 fortsatt tilgjengelig (som forklart ovenfor) og på lang sikt, kan du kanskje fortsette å bruke systemet uten problemer i årevis. Hvis / når dette problemet oppstår, kan det være på tide å konvertere systemet med enten ‘Retrofit’ / ‘Drop in’ -kjølemidler, eller forny ditt system alt sammen.

Når det er sagt, hvis du har en virksomhet som er avhengig av fullt funksjonell klimaanlegg, så kan det være noe du vil adressere før heller enn senere. Hvis du trengte å få tak i R22 lenger nedover linjen, og det hadde blitt faset ut helt, kunne du være uten air condition alle sammen i noen dager / uker mens du enten konverterer systemet eller installerer en ny.

Et annet viktig aspekt å ta hensyn til er at noen av AC-produsentene begynner å lager mindre reservedeler for R22-systemer, og vet at de blir faset ut.

For å oppsummere, vil de som har R22-systemer, måtte gjøre noe på et tidspunkt, og det er mye bedre å bli informert godt før de gjør noe.[:]

La entrada Change in EU Law could affect you (Sep 2010) se publicó primero en Oasis Energy Solutions.