There’s probably no bigger trend in the ductless and variable refrigerant flow (VRF) segment of the HVAC market right now than the transition to A2L refrigerants.
The phaseout of HFC refrigerants such as R-410A and R-404A is well underway. The amount of new HFC refrigerant, whether imported or produced domestically, that can be used in the U.S. was cut by 10%, from a baseline set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for 2023, then cut by 30% more for this year. The goal is to reduce the amount of new HFC refrigerant to 15% of the baseline by 2036 while introducing refrigerants with a GWP of less than 700.