The transition away from hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) as refrigerants for HVAC systems is well underway, and the process is accelerating. A 10% reduction in HFC production was mandated last year, and an additional 30% reduction is pending in January 2024.
Meanwhile, a January 2025 deadline looms for the elimination of the manufacture of HVAC equipment that uses refrigerants with high potential for global warming (GWP).
impact of regulatory shifts
The production step-downs ensure a constrained supply of legacy refrigerants in the near term and will likely result in pricing volatility.
Increases in reclaim and recovery of HFCs from existing systems will balance some of the lower production, but it is impossible to measure or predict the impact exactly. Taken together, the regulatory shifts suggest a need for the industry to view its response more urgently.
lack of skilled labor
You can’t go to an HVAC industry meeting without people talking about the lack of skilled labor"
“People are starting to look at their footprint and the impact of these changes on the systems they have and how they handle their assets,” says Dr. Charles (Chuck) Allgood, Technical Fellow, The Chemours Company.
“There is another constraint on industry, which is labor. You can’t go to an HVAC industry meeting without people talking about the lack of skilled labor, which is a big problem for the industry.”
Need for training
The relevance of the refrigerant transition to the labor crisis is a need for employees and technicians to become trained to understand how to work with the new fluids.
“A lot has to be done, and there are not a lot of people to do it,” says Allgood. “Contractors will have to service the entire installed base of legacy products while weighing the economic payback of replacing a system versus repairing it.”
awareness and education
A customer should be actively managing their installed base of systems, and planning for a future transition
“All the new stuff is a shift in technology, and we won’t be able to avoid it,” says Allgood. “There is urgency across the board,” he adds.
“We have been preaching awareness and education for a couple of years. Today there are real actions people can take.” In any case, a customer should be actively managing their installed base of systems, and planning for a future transition.
Hands-on training
“There is a role for everyone to be playing in this transition,” says Allgood.
Installers need to stay up to date on which equipment to recommend and how to install it. Hands-on training is required as each new system has new guidelines on installation and service.
flammability concerns
Because newer refrigerants are mildly flammable, new leak detection is required, and new labeling is needed to highlight flammability concerns. Newer systems may not be as easy to learn and standardize.
New building codes, based on industry safety standards, are being developed to ensure the safe usage of mildly flammable refrigerants. Previously a limiting factor on the use of A2L refrigerants, building codes are rapidly catching up with the changing market and should not be an obstacle in the future.
utilizing available resources
Take time to take advantage of education resources offered by suppliers and manufacturers"
Fortunately, there are many resources available. “Find suppliers who have been around and are giving back to the industry, such as pioneering compressor and system component manufacturers,” says Allgood.
“They are here to help the industry move forward,” he advises. “Take time to take advantage of education resources offered by suppliers and manufacturers.”
training programs
Chemours is among the suppliers providing training and resources. Chemours does not just manufacture refrigerants, the company also provides all the necessary technical information for them. They offer training programs and will go on on-site to offer educational training.
The company has developed simple calculators that can assess a customer’s carbon footprint and the impact of switching to a different refrigerant. “We are not just gas suppliers,” says Allgood. “We understand how customers operate and can guide them through decisions, including repair versus replace.”
design compatibility of refrigerants
Manufacturers will be challenged to transition their equipment to compliant refrigerants
Wholesale distributors need to stock the parts and tools in their warehouses. Manufacturers will be challenged to transition their equipment to compliant refrigerants.
Chemours and other refrigerant manufacturers work closely with OEMs to ensure design compatibility of refrigerants to new equipment.
better energy performance
An additional benefit of new solutions is that they also offer better energy performance that helps customers achieve environmental goals. The AIM (American Innovation and Manufacturing) Act authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to phase down the production and consumption of listed HFCs using a three-pronged approach covering consumption, production, and sector control.
A second wave of rulemaking targeted the use of HFCs on a segment-by-segment basis, covering the timeline, global warming potential (GWP) limits, and addressing residential and commercial uses.
Challenges with contaminated gas
Reclaimed gas is returned through a certified channel, recleaned, analyzed, and returned to the market
A challenge to the reclaiming of existing HFC is contaminated gas, which cannot be disposed of cost-effectively. Reclaimed gas is returned through a certified channel, recleaned, analyzed, and returned to the market.
In contrast, recovered refrigerant can be transferred from one HVAC unit to another if both are owned by the same entity. A refrigerant cannot legally be recovered from one customer and then used in a system owned by a separate customer.
Coping with changing market
Despite the urgency, there is some inertia in the fast-changing market, says Allgood. “There will always be pioneers and laggers,” he says.
“There is an older demographic of technicians who may be resistant to change. But even if they are grumbling, they are getting on with the program. You can’t afford not to change. The industry is changing, so you can either keep up or fall behind.”