Ozone depleting substances, particularly HCFCS, and non-ozone depleting alternatives such as HFCs are the most commonly used substances in refrigeration and air-conditioning applications. Most HCFCs and HFCs used in these applications have global warming potentials (GWPs) that are in the range of 1000 to 4000 times more powerful as greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide. Some of the low GWP alternatives to HCFCs and HFCs have properties such as higher flammability, higher toxicity and higher pressure that require a significantly different approach than that employed for previous generations of refrigerant technologies, due to the related safety issues.
Designers of products and equipment need to seek lower GWP alternatives that provide the best performance over a number of criteria, including: energy efficiency, safe operation, competitive costs, good environmental performance (which in most cases is a combination of high energy efficiency, minimal leakage and a low or very low GWP refrigerant).
In most markets efficient and economically feasible technology options are available or close to market. However there is some concern of finding feasible alternatives for the air-conditioning industry in high ambient temperature countries, and this has been a topic of considerable interest to the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in recent years.
REFRIGERANT MANAGEMENT
HCFCs are widely used in refrigeration and air conditioning applications worldwide in domestic and commercial refrigeration, cold storage, food processing, transport and industrial refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pumps, chillers, and mobile air conditioning. Under the Montreal Protocol, the HCFCs are being phased out and low-GWP, energy efficient alternatives are being introduced to replace them. The main global refrigerant options include ammonia, hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, HFOs and HFC blends. Read more
STANDARDS
The OzonAction Branch in assisting developing countries to comply with their commitments under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, particularly those related to the phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). The alternatives to HCFCs include ‘ozone and climate friendly alternatives’ such as natural refrigerants - hydrocarbons, ammonia and carbon dioxide; and lower global warming potential (GWP) HFCs, both saturated HFCs and unsaturated HFCs (HFOs). Read more
