The
phaseout of R-22 is underway. In preparing this status report on the near-term
future of residential/light commercial air-conditioning equipment without R-22,
the Refrigeration Systems Council of HARDI and its members in no way intends to
stifle nor discourage innovation in new products, materials and cooling
technology.
However, as the dominant marketing channel for the
industry’s products, wholesalers would be remiss if they ignored any attempt to
understand current technology trends or failed to support appropriate action in
the marketplace to protect the best interests of the consuming public.
The local
distributor – in concert with his manufacturing suppliers – is also best suited
to provide timely training for the installing and servicing dealer-contractors.
In fact, it is expected.
Consequently,
it was an imperative to recognize the arrival of HFC-410A as the manufacturing
industry’s consensus new refrigerant for new air-conditioning
equipment and make preparations to offer the necessary new training to assure
safe and efficient applications.
This
report is a followup to a distributor member survey regarding their views and
questions on the phaseout of R-22.
R-22 phaseout schedule
The phaseout of R-22 and other HCFCs
is underway. The Montreal Protocol provides the overreaching regulations that
all countries must abide by. A brief summary follows:
The Montreal Protocol HCFC Phaseout
schedule for developed countries is:
- Jan. 1, 1996: Consumption freeze capped at 2.8
percent of the ozone depletion potential of
the CFCs, plus the HCFCs consumed by
a country in 1989.
- Jan. 1, 2004: Cap reduced by 35 percent of
above.
- Jan. 1, 2010: Cap reduced by 65 percent.
- Jan. 1, 2015: Cap reduced by 90 percent.
- Jan. 1, 2020: Cap reduced by 99.5 percent.
- Jan. 1, 2030: Cap reduced by 100 percent.
Note that the Montreal Protocol
schedule is for all HCFCs, not just HCFC-22.
To comply with the phaseout schedule
adopted by the Montreal Protocol, the U.S. EPA has established an HCFC phaseout
schedule for domestic use (feedstock use is exempted) as follows (for more
details see http://www.epa.gov/ozone/):
- Jan. 1, 2003: Complete phaseout of HCFC-141b —
no production or import (except
for exemptions approved by EPA).
Allocation of production and import allowances of
HCFC-22 and HCFC-142b – see details
below.
- Jan. 1, 2010: Ban on
production and import of HCFC-22 and HCFC-142a, unless
used in equipment manufactured prior
to Jan. 1, 2010.
- Jan. 1, 2015: Ban on
production and import of all HCFCs unless used as a refrigerant
in equipment manufactured prior to
Jan. 1, 2020.
- Jan. 1, 2020: Complete
phaseout of HCFC-22 and HCFC-142b –- no production or
import.
- Jan. 1, 2030: Complete
phaseout of all remaining HCFCs –- no production or
import.
R-22 production, import, export rights
On Jan. 21, 2003 the US EPA
established an allowance system for controlling the production, import and
export of HCFC-22, HCFC-141b and HCFC-142b. This allowance system was developed
to ensure that the U.S. does not exceed its limits for production and
consumption of these HCFCs under the Montreal Protocol.
A brief summary of the allowance
system follows:
- Allowances are assigned to
individual companies.
- Each company’s production and
consumption (production plus imports, minus exports)
allowances are based on that
company’s highest ODP-weighted production and consumption
years from the baseline years of
1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997. The allowances have been
adjusted for each company to ensure
that the U.S. does not exceed its limits under the
Montreal Protocol.
- Individual consumption and
production allowances for a specific HCFC disappear after its
phaseout (for example, HCFC-141b in
2003) unless EPA is petitioned and grants an extension.
- Holders can transfer allowances
among HCFCs, providing the HCFC has not been phased out.
- Trading between HCFCs and/or
between companies is allowed but will incur a 0.1 percent offset for
interpollutant or intercompany trades (on an ODP-adjusted basis).
- Importing used HCFCs will be
handled on a shipment-by-shipment basis for 5 pounds or
more of used HCFCs. The party
choosing to import must petition the EPA.
Bottom line: Production and import
of HCFC-22 is controlled and you should ensure that your supply of HCFC-22 is
legal. Legal suppliers should be willing to document their compliance with
EPA’s Final Rule on HCFC Allowances. For more information, call the EPA hotline
at 800-296 1996.
Availability of R-22 to service existing R-22
equipment
There is currently adequate supply
for global HCFC-22 requirements. Even with the EPA HCFC allocation rule in
place, supply issues are not anticipated for HCFC-22 in the U.S. for the short
term.
However, it is important for
contractors to think ahead about their business and make sure they understand
what will be happening in the marketplace in the next several years so they
have the refrigerant products needed to service customers. Longer term, global
supply issues could emerge from continued implementation of the Montreal
Protocol.
In the U.S., the Clean Air Act
phaseout schedule allows R-22 to be manufactured for servicing existing
equipment until the year 2020. However, the HCFC stepdown mandated by the
Montreal Protocol in 2015 may restrict the supply below market demand levels
unless the HVACR industry makes prudent moves to using R-22 alternatives,
fixing leaks and recovery and recycling of used refrigerants.
Availability of R-410A A/C equipment and R-410A
Air conditioning equipment using
R-410A has been commercially available in the U.S. since 1996.
R-410A has been chosen by all major
U.S. OEMs as the long-term replacement of choice for R-22 in new residential
and light commercial air conditioning equipment. Supplies of R-410A are readily
available from all major U.S. refrigerant manufacturers.
Technical considerations
R-410A has a unique set of physical,
chemical and thermodynamic properties that enable the refrigerant to provide
required cooling capacity and energy efficiency. Depending on operating
conditions, compressor discharge pressure can range from 50 percent to 70
percent higher than R-22.
System components have been
redesigned to handle this higher pressure and R-410A systems have proven to be
highly reliable in the field. Like other HFC refrigerants, R-410A requires a
polyol ester (POE) lubricant. POEs have been used with HFC refrigerants for
over 10 years in the refrigeration and AC industry and even longer in other
industries.
They have been used in jet engines
for over 50 years. POEs provide good lubrication and have better thermal
stability than mineral oils that are used with R-22. Currently, tens of
millions of pieces of equipment operate with HFC/POE: supermarket display
cases, walk-in coolers and freezers, ice machines, refrigerator/freezers,
transport refrigeration, and residential and commercial AC.
POEs do tend to absorb moisture
quicker than mineral oils; however, this can be minimized by using good
manufacturing and service practices: specify “dry” POE (-50 ppm moisture), keep
containers closed when not in use, keep systems clean and dry, use proper
evacuation, and replace filter/drier during service.
Manufacturers of R-410A compressors
have reported very good durability in air conditioning applications. This can
be attributed to extensive pre-production testing, proper system and compressor
design, selection of a high quality POE, and the use of proper installation and
service practices in the field.
This last item is critical to the
continued success of R-410A equipment and many OEMs and equipment distributors
are providing training for installation/service technicians to emphasize the
importance of proper service practices.
EPA Acceptable substitutes
www.epa.gov/docs/ozone/snap/refrigerants/reflist.pdf
Atofina: www.forane.com
DuPont: www.suva.dupont.com
Honeywell: www.genetron.com
BVA: www.bvaoils.com
Castrol: www.nucalgon.com
Uniquema
Emkarate Lubricants: www.emkaraterl.com
Virginia
KMP: www.virginiakmp.com
Copeland: www.copeland-corp.com
Tecumseh: www.tecumseh.com
American
Standard: www.americanstandardair.com
Carrier: www.carrier.com
Lennox: www.lennoxinternational.com
Nordyne: www.nordyne.com
Paradise
Comfort Systems: www.paradisecomfort.com
Rheem: www.rheemac.com
York: www.yorkupg.com