The regulatory landscape for refrigerants used in chillers has become more complicated, thanks to the court decision that declared the EPA is not authorized to regulate HFC refrigerants under the Clean Air Act.

According to a summary from AHRI, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a decision to vacate the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA’s) Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Rule 21 last month in response to a lawsuit brought by Mexichem Fluor and Arkema, with Chemours and Honeywell joining the case on the side of the EPA.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is experiencing a bit of an existential crisis, doubting how much agency it really has to protect the environment when it comes to regulating refrigerants.

The U.S. HVAC industry considered (and largely still considers) an HFC phasedown to be inevitable.

Some economists predict that the economy may slow a bit in 2019; however, manufacturers believe demand for HVAC equipment will remain high.

Ongoing refrigerant developments and efficiency regulations have the attention of many in the compressor industry.

In Greek mythology, Argus was a son of Zeus. Having the king of the gods up on Mount Olympus for a dad probably raised the bar in terms of expectations. Fortunately, Tecumseh seemed comfortable with that kind of lofty namesake for its biggest launch at this year’s AHR Expo, the ARGUS condensing unit platform.

Johnson Controls Inc. had a big 2018, with the launch of several new products and the acquisition of Lux Products Corp. For Johnson Controls, the Lux acquisition enhances its commitment to thermostats. The move also enables faster product development cycles, improves customer service capabilities, and supports greater product innovation.

Bacharach has been in acquisition mode lately, and the company was showing off the new products and relationships that resulted from that at this year’s AHR Expo in Atlanta.

The U.S. economy is looking more robust, with many economists predicting the gross domestic product (GDP) will grow between 2.5 and 3 percent this year.