Although it’s commonly acknowledged that there is no one-size-fits-all answer, natural refrigerants, such as carbon dioxide (R-744), ammonia (R-717), and the hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants propane (R-290) and isobutane (R-600), have been garnering attention.

The announcement a few months ago that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was proposing to decertify certain high-global warming potential (GWP) HFC refrigerants for use in a wide range of new commercial refrigeration equipment did not come as a surprise to the HVACR industry.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a warning to consumers, contractors, and technicians about the safety hazards related to charging existing home and motor vehicle air conditioning systems with propane-based refrigerants. 

The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is offering a monetary incentive to select qualifying builders who build new homes that follow the Propane Energy Pod model and include propane equipment for space heating, water heating, and other heating and power applications.

A gallon of the liquefied, flammable hydrocarbon (HC) gas that sold for $1 last year has risen nearly four-fold in cost.

A state of emergency has been declared in Alabama, Iowa, Wisconsin, and 27 other states. The cause: a lack of propane. A brutal cold snap spanning the country, combined with distribution issues, has led to a limited supply and historically high prices.