Climate control then and now

Part II: Changing laws and regulations

– By Peter Bos, May 18

Creating a comfortable artificial temperature is much more difficult on a yacht or a ship than at home or in the office. This is mainly due to continuously changing laws and regulations.

Laws and regulations

Laws and regulations regarding shipbuilding can vary greatly among countries. Relevant parameters include the health of the crew, noise & vibration levels, efficiency, and environmental sustainability, to name just a few. Expanding our knowledge on these subjects in order to meet client needs is a substantial part of our role, which is to achieve the perfect climate – on land as well as as sea.

Sustainable systems

Modern systems are becoming more efficient, with an emphasis on energy-efficient and sustainable installations. Many of the coolants used in the past have been banned because they produce greenhouse gasses, contributing to global warming. While these have been replaced with environmentally friendly alternatives, the search for zero harmful coolants continues.

One of the challenges we face is that vessels with global operations have to be able to deal with extreme conditions, and many coolants cannot be used in all climates. In addition, new ways of cooling are often unsuitable for offshore use because marine vessels move and roll and have to deal with widely varying loads. Last but not least, some natural coolants such as propane and ammonia can be used in marine HVAC systems, but additional security measures should be implemented as these coolants are highly flammable and toxic.

A new field of knowledge

Over the years, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) has developed into a whole new field of knowledge and a specialty of its own. The world of climate control brings together various specialisms, such as engineering, installation, cooling and electrical engineering. Additional types of expertise – delivery, logistics and order processing – have also become a serious part of our field. We are proud to have gained this wide-ranging knowledge, which we deploy on our customers’ behalf every day.

Peter Bos | Manager Sales & Estimation

Peter Bos has been working at Heinen & Hopman for almost 30 years. He devotes most of his attention to selling HVAC&R systems to clients like Damen Shipyards and Feadship. Additionally, Peter offers sales support to our subsidiaries abroad as well. He highly values reliability and a no-nonsense approach and stands behind what he sells.