In 1919, the Penn brothers co-founded the Penn Electric Machine Company in Des Moines, Iowa. Its first product was the innovative Type S pressure switch, which Albert developed to automatically operate electric motor-driven water pumps.
As vice president of sales & customer care, Keith Funke will lead the development and execution of Nor-Lake’s commercial sales growth and new business opportunities.
The primary question being asked in the proposed rule, Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Revisions to the Refrigerant Management Program’s Extension to Substitutes, is whether or not the EPA has the authority to regulate anything beyond ozone-depleting substances (ODS).
In October, the Supreme Court decided not to review the case, leaving in place the 2017 ruling, which means for now, the use of high-GWP refrigerants, such as R-404A and R-410A, remains legal.
If finalized as proposed, the revised Refrigerant Management rule would, among other things, rescind the leak repair and maintenance requirements for substitute refrigerants.
The following remarks were made regarding the article “HFO Sightings: Retrofits Becoming More Common in Supermarkets,” written by Joanna R. Turpin, senior editor for The NEWS, published Oct. 1.
The EPA embarked on a rulemaking process that should eventually lead to a new policy regarding HFCs, although many in the HVACR industry hope the agency simply accepts the phase down schedule recommended in the Kigali Amendment.
To recap, earlier this year, refrigerant manufacturers, Honeywell and Chemours, asked the Supreme Court to review an August 2017 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which stated the EPA could not ban HFCs through its Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program, because that program was designed only to address ozone-depleting substances. While HFCs are among the greenhouse gases suspected of contributing to climate change, they do not deplete the ozone layer.
Natural refrigerants, including ammonia, CO2, and propane are considered “future-proof” refrigeration options but are not yet widely adopted by the industry.
Advanced climate technologies include next-generation HFOs and blends and select HFCs with lower GWP compared to previous products. These solutions for refrigerants, propellants, and blowing agents significantly reduce total climate impact, and maintain or improve energy efficiency, affordability, and flexibility to enable use for a wide variety of applications and climates.