What is BS EN 12309-3 – Terms and definitions for gas-fired sorption appliances about? 
Gas-fired heat pumps essentially use natural gas to drive their refrigeration cycle.
BS EN 12309 is a European Standard that discusses the gas-fired sorption appliances for heating and/or cooling. The BS EN 12309 series aims to provide with best industry practices that ensure gas-fired sorption appliances for heating and/or cooling are safe and reliable for use.
BS EN 12309 covers appliances that include one or a combination of the following:
- Gas-fired sorption chiller
- Gas-fired sorption chiller/heater
- Gas-fired sorption heat pump
BS EN 12309 applies to appliances designed to be used for space heating or cooling or refrigeration with or without heat recovery.
BS EN 12309 applies to appliances having flue gas systems of type B and C (according to CEN/TR 1749) and to appliances designed for outdoor installations.
BS EN 12309 only applies to appliances having:
- Integral burners under the control of fully automatic burner control systems
- Closed system refrigerant circuits in which the refrigerant does not come into direct contact with the water or air to be cooled or heated
- Mechanical means to assist transportation of the combustion air and/or the flue gas
The above appliances can have one or more primary or secondary functions (i.e., heat recovery - see definitions in EN 12309-1:2014).
In the case of packaged units (consisting of several parts), BS EN 12309 applies only to those designed and supplied as a complete package.
BS EN 12309-1 is the first part of the series that specifies the terms and definitions for gas-fired sorption appliances for heating and/or cooling with a net heat input not exceeding 70 kW.
Note 1: The appliances having their condenser cooled by air and by the evaporation of external additional water are not covered by BS EN 12309.
Note 2: Installations used for heating and/or cooling of industrial processes are not within the scope of BS EN 12309.
Who is BS EN 12309-1 - Terms and definitions for gas-fired sorption appliances for? 
BS EN 12309-1 on terms and definitions for gas-fired sorption appliances is relevant to: 
- Gas-powered sorption appliance manufacturers
- Heat pump manufacturers
- Ventilation and air-conditioning system manufacturers
- Quality control and testing personnel
- Engineers
- Regulatory bodies
- Certification bodies
Why should you use BS EN 12309-1- Term and definitions for gas-fired sorption appliances?
With significant amounts of thermal energy being wasted, the demand for heat-conversion technologies to harness this untapped potential of wasted heat has been growing. In this regard, gas-fired sorption appliances can utilize waste heat and renewable energy to outperform conventional heat pumps, while increasing energy efficiency and minimizing environmental impacts.
BS EN 12309-1 provides terms and definitions used throughout the BS EN 12309 series. The uniform and consistent use of standardized terms and definitions across the supply chain can be helpful in clearly communicating the design intent between production, quality testing, and inspection teams.
Thus, adopting BS EN 12309-1-recommended terms and definitions can help prevent misinterpretations and miscommunication while dealing with gas-fired sorption appliances, across all stages, from design to product installation and maintenance.
