Leak Detection Equipment Used to Help Gain BREEAM Environmental Certification

Murco (Ireland) and Bacharach have had their range of refrigerant leak detection products used to gain BREEAM Certification. BREEAM (Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method) is the world's leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings. One of the goals of BREEAM is to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from the leakage of refrigerants. 

Section Pol 01 of the BREEAM Technical Manual outlines the assessment criteria for issuing credits for non-domestic buildings in relation to refrigerants. This section specifically defines criteria for using a permanent refrigerant leak detection system. One credit can be issued if the following criteria are met:

Where the systems using refrigerants have Direct Effect Life Cycle C02 equivalent emissions of (DELC C02e).

Where systems using refrigerants are contained in a moderately air tight enclosure (or a mechanically ventilated plant room), and an automated permanent refrigerant leak detection system is installed covering high-risk parts of the plant OR where a refrigerant leakage/charge loss detection system is specified, which is not based on the principle of detecting or measuring the concentration of refrigerant in air.

The automatic shutdown and pump down of refrigerant occurs on the detection of refrigerant leakage/charge loss.

Automatic pump-down to either a separate storage tank or into the heat exchanger is acceptable, but only where automatic isolation valves are fitted to contain the refrigerant once full pumped down.

The alarm threshold that triggers automatic pump down upon detection of refrigerant in the plant room/enclosure is set to a maximum of 2,000 ppm (0.2%), but lower levels can be set.

Use a robust and tested automated permanent refrigerant leak detection system, normally defined as that included on the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) Energy Technology Product List1 (or an equivalent list).