California Tackles Climate Change by Adopting R32 for Air Conditioning
David S.Apr 29th 20243 min read
“California's rule in this post pushes new air conditioners under 65,000 BTU/h off high-GWP refrigerants such as R-410A and toward lower-GWP options such as R32.”
From this article
Key takeaways
- The post gives R-410A a 100-year global warming potential of 2,088 and R32 a GWP of 675.
- It says CARB barred high-GWP refrigerants such as R-410A in new air conditioners under 65,000 BTU/hr starting January 1, 2023.
- It describes R32 as mildly flammable (A2L) and points to technician training, codes, and labeling.
California's rule in this post pushes new air conditioners under 65,000 BTU/h off high-GWP refrigerants such as R-410A and toward lower-GWP options such as R32. The post says R-410A has a 100-year GWP of 2,088, and R32 a GWP of 675, about a 68% reduction versus R-410A. The first cutoff it cites took effect January 1, 2023, with light commercial equipment following by January 1, 2025.
Why do refrigerants matter for the climate in this post?
While carbon dioxide gets the most attention as a greenhouse gas, hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants like R-410A that are used in air conditioning and refrigeration systems can be even more potent contributors to global warming. Over a 100-year timeframe, R-410A has a global warming potential (GWP) of 2,088, meaning it traps 2,088 times more heat than carbon dioxide on a pound-for-pound basis.
These refrigerants can leak from air conditioning and refrigeration systems during operation, maintenance, or improper disposal at the end of the equipment life. Even small leaks can have an outsized climate impact given the extremely high GWP of traditional HFC refrigerants. It's estimated that the emissions of HFC refrigerants like R-410A cancel out much of the energy efficiency gains from modern cooling equipment.
What path does the post describe for lower-GWP refrigerants?
To tackle this source of greenhouse gas emissions, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and partners like the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) have been evaluating and approving new low global warming potential (low GWP) refrigerants through the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program. The goal is to find viable alternatives to traditional high-GWP HFC refrigerants used in a variety of cooling applications.
One of the most promising low-GWP refrigerants is R32 (difluoromethane), which the EPA approved through the SNAP program in 2015. With a GWP of just 675 over a 100-year timeframe, R32 represents a roughly 68% reduction in global warming impact compared to the R-410A refrigerant it is designed to replace in air conditioning systems. At the same time, R32 provides similar or even slightly better energy efficiency properties compared to R-410A.
How did California move air conditioning toward R32?
Given these environmental benefits of R32 as well as its affordable cost and relative ease of adoption, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has put regulations in place to drive the rapid adoption of this low-GWP refrigerant for air conditioning uses. The first regulation, which took effect on January 1, 2023, prohibits the use of high-GWP refrigerants like R-410A in new residential and commercial air conditioning equipment under 65,000 BTU/hr of cooling capacity.
To comply with this regulation, air conditioning manufacturers have been redesigning and testing systems to use the approved low-GWP alternative refrigerants like R32. This required minor changes like using different materials and adjusting the refrigerant charge amount, but modern R32 air conditioning units are essentially similar to previous R-410A versions in terms of capacity, efficiency, and installation requirements.
While R32 is mildly flammable and classified as an A2L refrigerant by safety standards, it is still considered safe for use in air conditioning equipment when following proper building codes, technician training, and labeling requirements. Millions of R32 air conditioning units have already been safely installed in commercial spaces and homes across Europe and parts of Asia since this refrigerant started being adopted abroad in the mid-2010s.
The industry rollout of R32 air conditioning equipment has progressed relatively smoothly in California in 2023, though education on the new refrigerant has been an ongoing process for manufacturers, contractors, and homeowners. Residential customers in the state will increasingly encounter R32 as the standard refrigerant when replacing or installing a new home air conditioning system under 65,000 BTU/hr of cooling capacity.
California's regulations are also driving the adoption of R32 and other low-GWP refrigerants in commercial air conditioning equipment under 65,000 BTU/hr of cooling capacity, which will be required by January 1, 2025. This includes packaged rooftop units, VRF multi-split systems, and other light commercial air conditioning applications. Some manufacturers have already started introducing R32-based commercial products to meet this future compliance date in California.
FAQ
Common questions
What GWP numbers does the post use?
R-410A at 2,088 over 100 years, and R32 at 675, which the post calls about a 68% reduction versus R-410A.
What did California require, and when?
The post says a rule effective January 1, 2023 prohibits high-GWP refrigerants such as R-410A in new residential and commercial air conditioning under 65,000 BTU/h. It says light commercial equipment follows by January 1, 2025.
Is R32 described as identical to R-410A?
The post says systems needed different materials and a different charge, and that capacity, efficiency, and installation stay essentially similar. It also says R32 is mildly flammable and classified A2L.
Who approved R32 in the post's account?
The EPA, through the SNAP program, in 2015. The post also mentions CARB's later California rules.
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Fill in the number from this article
California's rule in this post pushes new air conditioners under ____ BTU/h off high-GWP refrigerants such as R-410A and toward lower-GWP options such as R32.
The post says R-____0A has a 100-year GWP of 2,088, and R32 a GWP of 675, about a 68% reduction versus R-410A.
Over a ____-year timeframe, R-410A has a global warming potential (GWP) of 2,088, meaning it traps 2,088 times more heat than carbon dioxide on a pound-for-pound basis.
It's estimated that the emissions of HFC refrigerants like R-____0A cancel out much of the energy efficiency gains from modern cooling equipment.
