The importance of finding the path forward to climate-safe refrigeration and air conditioning: thinking outside the box and without limits

Abstract

Recently, an influential segment of the refrigeration and air conditioning engineering community has been making the provocative case that (1) every refrigerant is already identified, (2) none of the identified refrigerants satisfy the environmental criteria for stratospheric ozone and climate protection, and (3) every selection of refrigerant represents a trade-off in either safety, economy, ozone depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, and/or energy efficiency. The hypothesis is that science is at a dead end and that it will be necessary to compromise safety, climate, or cost. In some cases, the hypothesis suggests that society can only hope to trade one environmental problem for another. This essay disputes the hypothesis that all refrigerants have been identified and makes the case that chemists and engineers will continue to innovate in refrigerant design and application. It takes a fresh look at the evolution of refrigeration and air conditioning, makes the case that chemists are continuing to innovate in refrigerant design, and explores how engineers are just beginning to innovate in the integration of refrigerants and application technology. It describes the engineering solutions that make flammable and toxic refrigerants safe to use; new technologies on the verge of outperforming historic refrigerant cooling; integrated heating and cooling functions that save the climate and money; district cooling solutions coming into the marketplace; and new architectural and city planning strategies that can bypass the dependence on air conditioning with a goal of carbon-neutral or even carbon-sequestering living and work spaces. In conclusion, this essay recommends that governments redouble their efforts to support the commercialization of new refrigerants and not-in-kind alternatives to refrigeration and air conditioning and that stakeholders organize a “pathfinder” exercise to find the way forward.