Daikin Comfort Technologies North America, Inc. (DNA) is a subsidiary of DIL, providing Daikin, Goodman, Amana®, and Quietflex brand products. DNA and its affiliates manufacture heating and cooling systems for residential, commercial, and industrial use and are sold via independent HVAC contractors.
Thrive with R-32: Capitalize on Low-GWP Innovation
Refrigerant is the lifeblood of indoor comfort systems. It makes conditioned air possible, carrying away heat to allow cool air to comfort us inside homes and buildings in the summer or transferring heat energy indoors to warm our spaces in the winter. But, previous refrigerants, used so effectively to cool and heat our interior spaces, have a higher global warming potential (GWP) than R-32.1
Why Efficiency and R-32 is Important
Conditioning indoor air takes energy. Inefficient systems, such as lower SEER2 (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) cooling systems or electric resistance baseboard heaters, may consume more energy to keep a space comfortable than more efficient systems and those with inverter technology.
That’s where R-32 comes in. This next-generation, low-GWP refrigerant transfers heat efficiently and has excellent thermodynamic performance, with about 10% more thermal capacity than R-410A.
Considering refrigerant emissions plus indirect emissions from generating energy – if all the air conditioning units using the current refrigerants, R-410A and R-22, were converted to R-32, the CO2 equivalent of approximately 800 million tons, or 19%, could be reduced in 10 years.
Like R-410A, R-32 features an ozone depletion potential of zero. 2 The ozone layer protects the earth from the sun’s strong rays, keeping our planet’s temperature balanced while absorbing a portion of UVB – ultraviolet radiation that’s been linked to skin cancers, cataracts, skin aging, and harm to some crops and marine life.3
A Holistic View of R-32
The ‘total life cycle refrigerant impact’ measures the direct emissions from refrigerant plus the indirect emissions from electricity consumption.
Emissions come from direct sources, like refrigerant leaking into the atmosphere, and indirect sources, including the energy an air-conditioning unit consumes when running. That’s vital because without improvements in energy efficiency, by 2050, “around 2/3 of the world’s households could have an air conditioner. China, India, and Indonesia will together account for half of the total number,” according to the IEA.4
Is R-32 Proven?
Since 2012, R-32 has been used to condition indoor air in over 280 million units in more than 130 countries and regions worldwide. As more and more people demand indoor comfort, transitioning to R-32 is designed to be a low GWP refrigerant while delivering the performance and energy efficiencies needed to cool our homes and buildings.5
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
