by Brianna Crandall — October 26, 2016 — Global building technology society ASHRAE and the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) both recently commended the governments involved in the adoption of the HFC amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which will result in a global phase-down of production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The Kigali Agreement calls for reduction of HFCs equivalent to 80 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide through 2047 and will thereby avoid almost a half degree C of global warming, according to the two organizations.
The move comes as ASHRAE, AHRI and public and private partners launch a multimillion dollar research program that will establish a more robust fact base about the properties and the use of flammable refrigerants. The research is part of a $5.8 million program funded by ASHRAE, AHRI, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and Johnson Controls.
This program is part of an ongoing global effort to phase down the use of high global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants and identify appropriate climate-friendly alternatives. After two phases of research, the most promising alternatives are currently classified as mildly flammable or flammable, so additional field research is being undertaken to determine their suitability in different applications.
ASHRAE President Tim Wentz stated,
Flammable refrigerants hold great promise for reducing the use of HFCs in refrigerants and thereby lowering the environmental impact of air-conditioning and refrigeration systems. ASHRAE applauds the Kigali Amendment and is pleased to be a partner in cutting-edge research effort to better understand how to safely deploy flammable refrigerants.
AHRI President and CEO Stephen Yurek, who attended the Protocol meetings, commented:
While the freeze dates and step-down levels are ambitious, the HVACR industry is confident we can meet them and continue to provide quality, innovative, energy efficient products and equipment for the benefit of the world’s citizens. The agreement is just the first step in a multi-step process. Our industry is hard at work doing the research on the HFC alternatives that will be used in the world’s air conditioners, heat pumps, and refrigeration equipment, and getting that right is certainly as important as reaching agreement. Also very important are the education and training initiatives that will have to occur to ensure safe, efficient installation of the equipment that will contain these new refrigerants.
ASHRAE Director-at-Large Bill McQuade, who also attended the meetings, added that the update of product safety standards and building codes to include A2L refrigerants is essential to the success of the agreement, and noted that several parties expressed interest in partnering with the U.S. group’s A2L research program.
