Daikin UK foresees a drive to replace R22
The replacement of air-conditioning systems using R22 is seen by Peter Verkempynck, managing director of Daikin UK, as one of the greatest growth opportunities for the HVAC industry in 2014. He says, ‘The outlook for 2014 is conservative, with only 2 to 3% growth in the AC market for this year. However, demand for R22 replacement could buck the trend and drive a new impetus in the market later in the year, ahead of January 2015’s ban on all R22 systems.’
He suggests that with a large number of R22 systems still operational throughout the UK, the distress purchase of R22 upgrades and replacement solutions could flood the market, reversing the previous sluggish conditions and signalling a major opportunity to boost order books.
‘For air-conditioning contractors, the key to meeting this surge in demand will be having equipment ready and enough skilled installation capacity to service this requirement.’
