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Mass Balance Method Manages Harmful Refrigerant Gas Emissions

Daniel J. Stouffer
April 01, 2009
Current levels of harmful chemicals, including hydrofluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons are calculated and assessed by using the mass balance method. The data enables environmental scientists to predict future levels of emissions that contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer.

The mass balance method is employed to determine the difference between the starting amount and the ending amount of a substance such as refrigerant gas. How much of the chemical was in daily use and how much of it was discharged into the air may then be determined.

Adding the amount of chemicals entering a process plus the different avenues used by those chemicals, for example waste or accumulation, we arrive at an equation used for the mass balance method. The end result equates to the final amount of substance entering the global atmosphere. If we use refrigerant gas as an example, we take the starting amount, transformation through the cooling process and the waste amount.

Officials use the mass balance method to track the volume of substances used for a given function. This is broken down by how much enters and leaves a system and how much is stored within and this is the approach taken when accounting for pollutants.

Certain chemicals have been identified as harmful and contributors to the deterioration of the stratospheric ozone layer, air pollution and global warming. The EPA requires the use of the mass balance method to track chemicals such as methyl bromide, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform, hydrofluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbon.

Or substances or chemicals that enter or leave a defined system must be accounted for. The systems include refrigeration, air conditioning, heating ventilation and AC systems. The mass balance method is an essential ingredient in the design and analyzation process. Whatever substances or chemical is enter or leave the system must be accounted for and in equation form, input = output plus accumulation.


The mass balance method incorporates strict reporting requirements. Facilities will report venting of hydrofluorocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons and records total inventory at the beginning and end of the reporting period. Any purchases of refrigerant and any changes in capacity that occurred in the reporting time frame must also be accounted for.

The mass balance method incorporates several factors, such as the type and number of cooling equipment machines, refrigerant type, total refrigerant discharge and any leaks. The equation identifies mass flows that would have been difficult to measure otherwise, for example evaporated substances, leaks, or chemical reactions.

Clean-Tech solutions provided by Verisae help to manage fugitive refrigerant gas emissions and enable reporting according to the EPA regulations across an entire organization. Verisae makes it easier to manage, report, and track fugitive gas emissions. To learn about effective refrigerant gas management tactics, you can visit www.Refrigerant-Tracker.com
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Daniel J. Stouffer

I am Daniel Stouffer. I am a part-time writer, passionate Solar Energy Consultant, and a full-time Product Manager for Refrigerant Tracker, a solution to help manage, track, report refrigerant gases.

Educated in English and Mathematics, I dabble in writing pieces of this or that on the Internet while I work my day job building demand side energy management, carbon footprint reporting, and refrigerant gas tracking software.

I work for Verisae, Inc. I'm deeply involved in carbon management and renewable energy. My quest is to bring solar energy to U.S. Residential homeowners and to better manage the substances that harm our environment.

I'm also a small business owner working to promote the adoption of renewable energy. Solargies (Solar Energies), my goal is to spread the use of renewable solar power as simply and as rapidly as possible. He is also a writer, investing his time and energies educating people about renewable energy, the exciting world of interactive marketing, and other oddities of interest. (www.Solargies.com)

My personal mission statement: To gather data, to distill information, to build knowledge, and to attain wisdom. To learn, to work hard, and to be internally motivated when acquiring skills. "Every person that you meet knows something you do not - learn from them."

Verisae's Refrigerant Tracker and the Enterprise Carbon Footprint (ECF) products allows companies to take inventory of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and refrigerant gas emissions. CO2 gas, Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), and refrigerant gas emissions are tracked and better manage. Organizations can have a direct effect on the environment through better data management and taking accurate inventories of all greenhouse gases (GHGs) that contribute to their Carbon Footprint.

In my position, I work collaboratively with client teams to understand their goals, document the solution, and mange User Centered Design projects. I'm driven to implement solutions that deliver measurable business value and enhanced user experience.

As a Product Manager for Refrigerant Tracker, I help design how to make the right content available to the right people at the right time. My role involves the design of interactive systems that help users find and manage information or functionality more successfully. (www.refrigerant-tracker.com)