US EPA proposes tighter HFC restrictions
The United States Environmental Security Agency (EPA) has moved to restrict the use of numerous “super-pollutant” hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in new air conditioner and refrigeration units, as perfectly as in foams and aerosols.
The proposal targets the use of HFCs over a selected global warming probable (GWP) and will need most new equipment to changeover to reduced-GWP alternate options by 2025. This includes proposed boundaries for:
- Household and gentle industrial air conditioning and heat pump systems (such as VRF): GWP restrict of 700
- Industrial, supermarket and chilly storage refrigeration programs: GWP restrict of 150/300, based on capability
- Chillers: GWP restrict of 700
- Motor automobile air conditioning: GWP limit of 150.
The proposed rule would prohibit the manufacture and import of products and solutions made up of limited HFCs by January 1, 2025, in most conditions, and would prohibit the sale, distribution, and export of solutions containing limited HFCs a 12 months later, which in most circumstances would be January 1, 2026.
If carried out, it is approximated that the proposal could direct to emissions reductions of around 903 million tonnes of CO₂-equal by 2050, and net local climate benefits of up to US$56.3 billion (AUD$81.5 billion).
The proposal has been welcomed by the Environmental Investigation Company (EIA), which has petitioned the EPA for measures to decrease HFCs.
“This rule is absolutely nothing shorter of important for the US to meet up with its climate commitments underneath the Montreal Protocol by transitioning these sectors to a lot less harmful possibilities,” says Christina Starr from the EIA. “This is an formidable and in depth proposal that is quite regular with our petition to replicate California’s policies nationwide.”
“Establishing specific GWP caps sends a solid signal to the market place that for any know-how to be upcoming proof its local weather influence requirements to be as near to zero as possible,” claims EIA Climate Guide Avipsa Mahapatra. “The EPA investigation displays that conference the limits proposed in the rule, in addition to the significant local weather added benefits, would have internet negative compliance prices for the marketplace.”
Additional data on the proposed rule – which includes specific info on GWP limits for additional than 40 machines types and stop-use purposes – is obtainable in this EPA point sheet.
Picture by Wally Gobetz on Flickr.
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