Refrigerants UPDATE

At the heart of the issue is the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Rule 20, which was introduced in 2015 to phase down and delist the use of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, which contain a higher global warming potential (GWP) in certain commercial refrigeration applications. Since 2015, the industry has made significant progress across the board through product development initiatives targeted at meeting compliance challenges posed not only by SNAP, but also the energy-efficiency mandates from the Department of Energy (DOE). [...]in late January 2018, the court announced that it would deny the intervenor/respondents' petitions for a rehearing.2 Prominent stakeholders such as Honeywell, Chemours and the NRDC have already vowed to file appeals with the United States Supreme Court.3 Most recently, a group of bipartisan senators introduced a bill called the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act; if it is passed, it would entitle the EPA to phase down HFCs used in refrigeration and air conditioning, in consultation with the industry.4 This bill would operate in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the 2015 Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, a global treaty among 197 nations meant to phase out harmful greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances. Commercial Refrigeration Equipment (CRE). Since the enforcement date of March 2017, new CRE have been subject to 20-86% energy reductions, depending on the specific class of equipment.