March 3, 2015: EPA Approves New Low-GWP Refrigerants
Final Rule Expands the List of SNAP-Approved Substitutes
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it is increasing the options for refrigerants used in various types of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment in the United States to offer alternatives with low global warming potential (GWP). This final rule addresses refrigerants under the EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program to identify and approve additional “climate-friendly” refrigerants.
Under the authority of the Clean Air Act, EPA’s SNAP program evaluates substitute chemicals and technologies. This final rule expands the list of SNAP-approved substitutes to include more low-GWP alternatives that can replace both ozone-depleting substances and high-GWP hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The approved substitutes have GWPs that range from 3 to 675 and can replace older compounds with GWPs between 1,400 to 4,000.
The EPA said that, after receiving input from industry, environmental groups, and others, it is approving additional low-GWP refrigerants, subject to use conditions, in the following refrigeration and air conditioning applications: