UL Solutions expands its heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) testing facilities in Plano (Texas) and Carugate (Italy). The aim is to address the surging demand for rigorous heat pump performance and safety evaluations driven by the transition to environmentally friendly refrigerants.
The air conditioning and commercial refrigeration sectors are undergoing a significant transition driven by climate change policies and regulations. Manufacturers are developing innovative technologies and improving energy efficiency to meet these requirements for more environmentally friendly refrigerants.
“These expanded capabilities in Europe and North America – said Alessio Dellanoce, vice president and general manager of the Appliances, HVAC and Lighting group at UL Solutions – underscore our commitment to providing comprehensive and integrated solutions for the HVAC industry. By offering both performance and safety testing within a single location, we are streamlining the testing process for our customers, reducing their time to market and associated costs while helping them demonstrate that their products meet the highest safety and efficiency standards”.
Services at Plano facility
The Plano facility will expand its scope and capacity to include commercial HVAC performance testing and reinforce existing low-global warming potential refrigerant capabilities. The facility will offer comprehensive services encompassing refrigerant leakage mitigation, safety construction assessments, global safety compliance testing and information technology, and energy storage safety evaluations. In addition, UL Solutions will conduct performance testing for energy efficiency across new configurations and modified models driven by dynamic market requirements.
The key additions for European manufacturers
In Carugate, UL Solutions is expanding its footprint to provide comprehensive performance testing alongside its existing safety expertise, targeting European residential and light commercial heat pump manufacturers. Key additions include eco-design requirement testing, focusing on energy consumption during standby and off modes, and crucial performance metrics like coefficient of performance and sound power level. These services will enable manufacturers to navigate evolving regulations and adopt alternative refrigerants effectively, complementing the company’s existing advisory, training and safety testing services to foster faster global market access.
HVAC, an evolving industry
Several factors drive the demand for rigorous HVAC testing, including the European Union’s ambitious Fit for 55 initiative, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. There is also increasing adoption of alternative refrigerants, such as R32 and R454B, used in HVAC systems and considered a more environmentally friendly solution compared to older refrigerants. Another option are natural refrigerants like R290, considered an efficient refrigerant for use in commercial refrigeration applications. These alternative gases require comprehensive safety and performance evaluations to assess new flammability risks and consumer safety.
