Those in the HVACR industry can try to keep abreast of the issues through reading industry-related materials, attending conferences and workshops, and seeking out online training options.
In October, the Supreme Court decided not to review the case, leaving in place the 2017 ruling, which means for now, the use of high-GWP refrigerants, such as R-404A and R-410A, remains legal.
If finalized as proposed, the revised Refrigerant Management rule would, among other things, rescind the leak repair and maintenance requirements for substitute refrigerants.
he phase out, which would be implemented from 2020-2024, is expected to reduce HFC emissions by more than 20 percent of projected levels by 2030. DEC will be seeking input on this proposal prior to proceeding with a formal rulemaking, with the intent of finalizing a rule in 2019.
Determining which refrigerant may work best for an application can be challenging. While larger supermarket and restaurant chains usually have in-house personnel who help make this decision, they often turn to their local contractors for their advice as well.
There has been some confusion lately regarding how much longer HFCs will be readily available in the U.S. According to the 2016 Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, developed countries will have to begin phasing down HFCs starting on Jan. 1, 2019 (see Table 1).