The big debate in the HVACR industry right now is which refrigerant(s) will be chosen to replace R-410A in many types of comfort cooling equipment. Countries around the globe are already phasing down HFCs, and various states in the U.S. are passing legislation that would also minimize the use of these high-GWP refrigerants. California has been the leader of this movement, proposing a GWP limit of 750 for all new stationary air conditioning systems (residential and commercial) starting Jan. 1, 2023.
As a result, OEMs have been exploring lower-GWP alternatives to R-410A for years, and R-454B and R-32 have emerged as the top contenders. (R-32 was covered in a previous article.) However, both are A2L refrigerants, meaning that they are mildly flammable, and model codes do not allow their use in many types of cooling equipment. That is not stopping some states, which have already amended their laws — or are looking to do so in the near future — in order to allow the use of A2L refrigerants.