The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved Honeywell’s Solstice N40 (R-448A) refrigerant in applications ranging from stand-alone systems to commercial refrigeration.
The EPA also broadened approvals for the company’s Solstice N13 (R-450A) refrigerant, allowing it to be used in new vending machine applications.
The EPA approved the new refrigerant uses under its Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP), which evaluates substitute chemicals and technologies that are safe for the ozone layer.
The final rule will be published in the Federal Register in the coming weeks.
“Honeywell has been steadily broadening its range of reduced and low-global-warming replacements for high-global-warming hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), helping customers around the world decrease their global warming footprint and comply with new regulation,” said George Koutsaftes, refrigerants business director for Honeywell Fluorine Products.
Global regulators are increasingly moving to phase out high-global warming refrigerants and, on July 2, the EPA announced landmark regulations that will phase out the use of many of the world’s most potent HFCs, such as R-404A, in a variety of applications.
The new regulation effective summer 2016 will require supermarkets, the largest consumers of R-404A in the US, to discontinue use of R-404A as a retrofit refrigerant.
R-404A will also not be permitted for use in new supermarkets beginning January 1, 2017.
The latest approvals allow Solstice N40 refrigerant to replace R-22 and R-404A in commercial refrigeration applications, including new and retrofit supermarkets, various types of commercial refrigeration equipment, ice machines and refrigerated transportation.
Solstice N40 has a global warming potential that is 66% lower than R-404A.
In supermarket trials conducted in the US and Europe, Solstice N40 demonstrated at least 3% lower energy consumption in low-temperature applications and 5-16% lower energy consumption in medium-temperature refrigeration compared with R-404A.
In R-22 retrofit scenarios, Solstice N40 has delivered similar system performance.
Whether replacing R-22 or R-404A, Solstice N40 is a near drop-in replacement for supermarkets.
Solstice N13 has a GWP that is 60% lower than R-134a and is approved for use in vending machine applications.
Solstice N40 (R-448A) and Solstice N13 (R-450A) are nonflammable (ASHRAE A1) and non-ozone-depleting.
