97/03195 Industry status of CFC chiller retrofits and replacements

Abstract

The US ban on production of CFC refrigerants arrived on January 1, 1996 without much public attention thanks to many years of preparation by refrigerant producers and equipment manufacturers. Virtually all CFC equipment production lines have been retooled to produce equipment using non-CFC refrigerants. Producers of alternative refrigerants and equipment manufacturers worked closely for many years to develop non-CFC refrigerants for use in many types of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment. On-going research, such as the Materials Compatibility and Lubricants Research Program conduced by Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology Institute, is examining the compatibility of equipment components with alternative refrigerants and lubricants. In 1993, US manufacturers of large tonnage liquid chillers stopped making CFC chillers and produced newly designed chillers using alternative refrigerants that are up to 40 percent more energy efficient than the chillers produced 20 years ago.