Happy New Year! Welcome to the first phase of the US Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) HFC phase-out. From January 1, 2022, the production of HFC refrigerants such as R-410A and R-404A will be reduced by 10%, with little impact on the HVACR industry. However, there will be a sharp decline in production by 2024, when production should fall to 60% of the baseline set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Everyone in the HVACR industry will feel the pain of this cut.
So why are we moving away from HFCs like R-410A, which has proven to be a reliable replacement for R-22? As of January 1, 2020, HCFC-based refrigerants such as R-22 have been phased out as they have been found to damage the ozone layer. Although HFCs such as R-410A and R-404A do not damage the ozone layer, they are believed to contribute to global warming, which is why organizations ranging from governments to trade associations and environmental groups are calling for their use to be reduced.
California began a phase-out of HFCs a few years ago, and some 20 other states eventually joined in. Then, in December 2020, Congress passed the AIM Act, which allowed the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce the use of HFCs to 15% of their baseline by 2036. The EPA recently issued a final rule setting baseline levels for HFC production and consumption and outlining a phase-out schedule. Subsequently, the EPA issued quotas for 2022 to companies producing and/or importing HFCs in the United States and announced that it had approved several petitions to further restrict the use of HFCs in air conditioners and refrigeration equipment.
These petitions are noteworthy because they come from environmental groups as well as the HVACR industry, which is seeking to ban the use of R-410A in new residential and commercial air conditioning equipment from January 1, 2025, among other things. The date is in line with California regulations that require a GWP limit of 750 for new AC equipment starting in 2025, and VRF system manufacturers must comply with the new limit until 2026.
The approval of these petitions is not the end of the process, as the EPA now has two years to propose and complete rulemaking to resolve them. After consulting with stakeholders, EPA expects its “upcoming regulations will provide a clear regulatory environment that will facilitate the transition” to low-GWP alternatives. It is important to note that if the petition is accepted as is, in just three years new R-410A refrigerant air conditioners and heat pumps will no longer be legally manufactured (R-410A will still be available, original or remanufactured, for service) . available equipment).
While many thought this transition would be as smooth as the previous one, there are some significant differences. First, in contrast to the recent transition from one non-flammable refrigerant (R-22) to another (R-410A), two low-GWP alternatives are currently being considered to replace R-410A in air conditioning equipment – ​​R-454B and R-454B. 32 – Highly flammable (A2L). With the exception of a few states, most building codes do not allow the installation of comfort chillers containing A2L refrigerant. Industry experts are hopeful that the next update of the International Building Code, due in 2024, will include the use of A2L refrigerants.
Refrigeration equipment containing A2L likely won’t be widely available on the market until then, meaning there will be little time for technicians to familiarize themselves with the new technology before the EPA can ban R-410A in new equipment in 2025. year. This would also be very different from the last transition, as by January 1, 2010, the R-410A equipment was over a decade old when the R-22 equipment could no longer be produced (despite the dry ship loophole being widened for a while). .
Finally, unlike the previous transition, technicians will need to be trained in the correct installation and maintenance of systems containing A2L refrigerant, which will take time. While some organizations are providing training, including ACCA and ESCO Group, some contractors are holding off until the dust settles on EPA guidelines and/or their brands decide which A2L refrigerant they will use.
The bottom line is that the HFC phase-out has already begun and eventually the industry will move to air conditioning equipment containing substances other than R-410A. It is hoped that the narrowing will follow the relatively smooth transition that took place last time, but there are clearly some concerns. In fact, to see how things might play out, one need only look to Europe, where its phase-out has led to a 1,000% increase in the cost of HFCs and a thriving black market for illegally imported refrigerants. I hope this doesn’t happen here.
Joanna Turpin is a senior editor. She can be contacted at 248-786-1707 or email joannaturpin@achrnews.com. Joanna has been with BNP Media since 1991, initially heading the company’s technical books department. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in technical communications from Eastern Michigan University.
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