Make your mark in RAC industry

Saleem Ahmed

The availability of skilled and certified manpower is the need of the hour across the ESDM sector and specifically the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) industry, which is expanding at a very fast pace. The industry requires certified technicians to handle the Hydrochloroflurocarbons Phase Out Management Plan (HPMP) as per the montreal protocol.

Need of training

India has been witnessing high growth in the air-conditioning (AC) market which is expected to grow fivefold by 2030 from the existing stock of 35 million. Refrigerants used in ACs are either ozone depleting substances (ODS) or have extremely high global warming potential (GWP). Refrigerants leak out of ACs during normal operation and due to poor servicing practices by AC service technicians, causing adverse impacts to the environment.

Of the 2,00,000 estimated technicians in the country, the majority are semi or unskilled. Given that around 50% of refrigerant consumption is happening in the servicing sector, training of technicians on proper servicing practices to reduce leakages can have significant benefits.

The Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI) which is an apex body for skill development and certification in the electronics sector, with the support of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Controls interacted with the stake holders of the UN HCFC phase out action plan and developed ‘Qualification Packs in Air Conditioning’ with a Pan-India training ecosystem. The council has aligned its skilling capability to the industry requirements and is making an all-out effort in ensuring the industry requirements for skilled and certified AC technicians with relevant technical capabilities, thus giving a boost to the growth of the sector along with creating employment opportunities for the youth of the country.

Some of the qualification packs developed by the ESSCI for the air conditioning and refrigeration industry are:

• Field Technician - AC (NSQF Level - 4)
• Field Technician - Refrigeration (NSQF Level - 4)
• Field Engineer - RACW (NSQF Level - 5)
• Functional Tester - RAC (NSQF Level - 4)
• Safety Tester - RACWO (NSQF Level - 3)
• Performance Tester - RACWO (NSQF Level - 4)
• HVAC Technician (NSQF Level - 4)

Skill Training of RAC Service Technicians under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) — The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) have agreed to jointly undertake upskilling and certification of 1,00,000 refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) service technicians on good servicing practices and knowledge of alternative refrigerants to ozone-depleting chemicals. The project is funded under the Skill India Mission — Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.

Skill Training Outcomes

• Better awareness of safety and environmental practices in RAC servicing by technicians.
• Reduced consumption of refrigerants among trained technicians
• Increased number of certified technicians who can seek employment in the formal sector

Topics covered in the training and upskilling module of RAC technician:

• Impact of refrigerants on the environment - OZONE LAYER
• Commonly used refrigerants for Window and Split-Air Conditioners
• Basics of air-conditioning - Cooling philosophy
• Introduction to tools
• Introduction to clamp meter
• Copper tube operations
• Types of Circuits- Basic, Series, Parallel.
• Refrigerants and Lubricants- Types and Handling
• Testing of Parts - Compressor Fixed Speed, sensors, capacitor, electric parts
• Practical Sessions : Leak testing, evacuation, gas charging, Safety while handling Nitrogen, Evacuation and Gas charging, Refrigerant recovery system, Troubleshooting- Split and Window AC, Safety, First Aid.

The writer is vice-president, Business development, Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI)