Energy efficiency has been at the very centre of Julian Hudson’s HVACR career.
The Energy Savings & Sustainability Award winner spent years as a refrigeration consultant specialising in CO2 & NH3 plant design.
Prior to that he spent almost five years as engineering manager at BITZER.
Today Julian is the managing director of Glaciem Cooling Technologies. With such an outstanding career in HVACR it’s hard to believe how it all began.
At 17 years of age Julian was offered an apprenticeship as an electrician, however the refrigeration apprenticeship paid two pounds more per week, making it a much more appealing option.
“I had no idea what the job entailed but I chose refrigeration because it paid more,” he says.
“Now I love the diversity of this sector no two jobs or projects are ever the same, each one has its own unique set of challenges.”
Julian says HVACR is an industry that is always changing, mainly due to the phase out of refrigerants, new technology and the cost of energy driving the need for more efficient systems.
In the past decade, he says the biggest change has been the uptake of natural refrigerants, particularly CO2 in the heavy commercial/light industrial sector.
“And more recently it is the uptake of heat pumps for combined heating and cooling,” he says.
Despite the drive to net zero, Julian says the industry is still stuck on tried and tested old designs and catalogue engineering.
“This is evident when we see that the use of R404A has increased rather than declined since the HFC phase down began in 2018,” he says.
“I feel this is largely due to the lack of skills and training in the industry, there are also no dedicated refrigeration degrees at university level.”
Julian says another problem is visibility and branding because most people including governments do not understand the importance of the HVACR industry.
“The HVACR industry is responsible for eight per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and uses 17 per cent of all electricity generated in the world,” he says.
“Net zero is not achievable without dramatic change in the HVACR industry.”
Asked about his future plans, Julian says he is focused on growing the Glaciem business and promoting more sustainable technology pathways for the sector.
Sponsored by Alfa Laval, the winner of the Energy Savings & Sustainability Award was announced by refrigeration industry manager at Alfa Laval, Anson John.