DAIKIN Malaysia Sales & Service Sdn Bhd and the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) are strengthening efforts to promote sustainable cooling practices, including refrigerant recovery and improved air-conditioning management.
Under the initiative, 77.48kg of R134A refrigerant was recovered from existing air-conditioning systems, which the partners said was equivalent to avoiding about 110,796.4kg of carbon dioxide emissions.
The amount was also estimated to be equivalent to the carbon absorption of 4,617 rain tree years, according to the companies.
The recovered refrigerant is sent to a Refrigerant Reclamation Centre for processing and potential reuse, reducing the need for refrigerant to be released into the atmosphere.
The initiative, themed “MGTC Sustainable Refrigerant & Resources Recovery”, takes a lifecycle approach to cooling, covering indoor air quality, air-conditioning efficiency and the responsible management of refrigerants and other resources at the end of equipment’s service life.
Daikin Malaysia presented MGTC with a Sustainable Refrigerant & Resources Recovery Certification during a ceremony recognising its efforts in responsible refrigerant management and environmental sustainability.
Daikin Malaysia general manager (Marketing & Service) Chan Hon Leong said sustainable cooling should consider the entire lifecycle of an air-conditioning system.
“True sustainability considers the entire cooling lifecycle – from creating healthier indoor environments to optimising system performance, and ultimately, managing resources responsibly when systems are upgraded,” he said.
Chan said the collaboration demonstrated how technology, operational efficiency and resource recovery could be combined as part of a broader approach to sustainable cooling.
The initiative also incorporates centralised control and smart optimisation systems, allowing building operators to monitor air-conditioning performance in real time and use operational data to improve system operation.
The partners said the approach could help improve cooling efficiency while supporting longer-term system performance.
Indoor air quality is another component of the initiative, with measures including fresh-air ventilation, air purification and filtration, humidity control and continuous fresh-air supply.
Daikin Malaysia and MGTC said these measures could help create cleaner and more comfortable indoor environments while complementing efforts to improve the efficiency of cooling systems.
The companies said refrigerant recovery was an important part of efforts to reduce the environmental impact of air-conditioning systems, particularly as Malaysia continues to pursue its sustainability and decarbonisation targets.
They said the initiative demonstrated how the cooling sector could contribute to these efforts through a combination of energy efficiency, digital monitoring, resource recovery and responsible management of equipment throughout its lifecycle.