United States. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler recently signed a proposed rule that would list multiple substitute refrigerants for refrigeration and air conditioning equipment.
The proposed lists are as follows:
List R-448A, R-449A and R-449B as acceptable, subject to reduced usage limits, for use in retail food refrigeration: independent medium temperature units for new equipment.
List R-452B, R-454A, R-454B, R-454C and R-457A as acceptable, subject to conditions of use, for use in residential and light commercial air conditioning (A/C) and heat pumps for new equipment and R-32 as acceptable, subject to conditions of use, for use in residential and light commercial A/C and heat pumps: equipment other than stand-alone air conditioners, for new equipment (Note: R-32 was previously listed as acceptable, subject to conditions of use, in stand-alone air conditioners [April 10, 2015; FR 80 19454]).
EPA proposes these listings after its evaluation of human health and environmental information on various substitutes submitted to the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program. Previously released SNAP Rule 23 details these new and revised listings.
The EPA had previously listed R-32 as acceptable subject to conditions of use as a substitute in residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pumps for standalone air conditioners, including package-type air conditioner (PTAC) terminals, package-type heat pump terminals (PTHP), window A/C units, portable room A/C equipment, and wall-independent A/C.
In the most recent proposed regulation, the EPA proposes to declare R-32 acceptable, subject to conditions of use, for autonomous A/C that are generally larger than room size (e.g., ceiling units, water-sourced heat pumps, and ground heat pumps) and split systems, which are part of the end-use of the residential and light commercial heat pump and air conditioning.
