Jan 4
The question we’ve been asked most often over the past year is this: “What is Emerson Climate Technologies doing to prepare for future regulations?” Between the EPA’s multiple SNAP rulings on refrigerants and the DOE’s energy reduction mandates, complying with these regulations has been a primary concern for our customers.
The viability of propane (R-290) as a refrigerant is a recurring topic of debate in the commercial refrigeration and air conditioning industries. In light of the EPA’s recent refrigerant delisting ruling, it’s a discussion that’s likely to return to the forefront.
While the United States has been especially hesitant to adopt R-290, it has gained wider acceptance in Europe, where environmental concerns and stricter regulations are driving the adoption of more eco-friendly alternatives. R-290’s true properties and characteristics are largely unknown to those outside the industry, leading to common misconceptions among the public.
While the SNAP delisting rule may have been the lead story for our industry summer, the EPA has also recently finalized additional SNAP rulings that approve new refrigerant substitutes in commercial refrigeration. The first two rulings cleared the way for several approved alternatives having a GWP ranging from 3 to 675 and include: R-170 (ethane); R-600A (isobutane); R-290 (propane); R-441A (hydrocarbon blend); and R-450A (HFC/HFO blend). The first three in this list are considered “natural” refrigerants with very low GWP/ODP, but are also class A3 (flammable).
Earlier this summer, the EPA published its final rule on refrigerant delisting (Federal Register Vol. 80 No. 138, July 20, 2015, 42870-42959). The rule, which was the latest move under the EPA’s significant new alternatives policy (SNAP), put to rest much speculation about how far-reaching the impacts would be to the commercial refrigeration industry.
