ARLINGTON, Va. - Manufacturers of chillers used for comfort cooling in buildings reported that 2,585 units that use chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants were replaced or converted during 2003, leaving an estimated 36,200 chillers still using CFCs, according to the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI).
ARI also said that during 2003 there were 187 conversions and 2,398 chillers replaced with non-CFC equipment utilizing alternative refrigerants accepted for use by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The pace of the phaseout has been slower than expected due in part to federal tax laws, which require depreciation of the chillers over 39 years.