Articles Tagged with ''Refrigerant Phasedown''

Speaking at RAC’s Retail Question Time event, consultant Ray Gluckman, who worked closely with officials involved with the European Union (EU) F-gas regulation, said, “At the moment we don’t have enough end users, maintenance, or installation companies taking the necessary action to meet the targets set by the EU.”

A global HFC phase-down agreement is set to become a reality following historic negotiations by countries worldwide in November in Dubai, which could see a formal reduction strategy by the end of 2016.

The amendment, deemed the “Dubai Pathway,” is expected to be completed in 2016 and puts to rest an ongoing discussion regarding HFC usage that’s persisted among Montreal Protocol members for more than five years. 

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) applauded the decision of the Parties of the Montreal Protocol (MP) to work toward an amendment in 2016 to include HFC refrigerants in the treaty’s purview, with a goal of working toward a schedule to phasedown their use across the globe.

At the just-completed 36th Montreal Protocol Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) meeting in Dubai, the Parties achieved agreement on a mandate for the contact group. This is a significant step towards amending the Protocol, a step which has not been achieved in at least six years.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) final rule, announced July 2 and published in the Federal Register on July 20 (Federal Register Vol. 80 No. 138, July 20, 2015, 42870-42959), will — among other things — change the listing for certain refrigerants used for retail food refrigeration.

Ultimately, I think the elimination of the uncertainty about the terms of the final rule will help the refrigerant world by providing a clear direction. Now, everyone knows what they’re dealing with, and the known is always easier to face than the unknown.

With the delisting of some hydrofl uorocarbons (HFCs) for refrigeration, are you concerned about an imminent HFC phasedown for air conditioning?

It’s looking more likely that there will be a global agreement to phase down HFCs, and it could come as early as this year or possibly next; either way, it’s coming.