The industry is on the verge of moving toward a unified and safe transition to a new generation of low-GWP refrigerants.

The federal standards sought by the AHRI petition align with similar standards already in place in nine states.

Honeywell announced that global natural and organic foods retailer Whole Foods Market has adopted its Solstice N40 (R-448A) lower-GWP refrigerant in its stores

The topic of new refrigerants was of interest at the National HVACR Educators and Trainers Conference, given the impending phasedown of HFC refrigerants like R-410A.

Manufacturers have created a number of low-GWP solutions that are designed to have similar (or better) efficiencies and capacities than the refrigerants they are intended to replace.

This is shaping up to be a pivotal year in terms of refrigerant regulations, and keeping up with the developments will be crucial for HVACR contractors.

Finding a replacement for R-410A has been challenging, but several alternatives have emerged as top contenders.

Contractors who have seen change coming and made adjustments are the ones who have survived for years.

The pandemic has resulted in changes that will likely affect the commercial refrigeration industry for some time.