The Future of Sustainable Commercial Refrigerants

As a commercial building owner or manager, you rely on your HVAC system to maintain a comfortable environment in your business. But to achieve this, you need a quality HVAC system and a very important cooling agent known as refrigerant. In short, refrigerant is what makes air conditioning possible. Contained within the coils of an air conditioning system, the liquid agents helps to keep indoor air cool and dehumidified.

Unfortunately, refrigerants can impact the environment in big ways. And considering the environment needs our help now more than ever (after all, new data from Nasa shows 2016 was the warmest year since scientists began tracking temperatures in 1880), the need for sustainable refrigerants is so important.

Refrigerant impacts the environment in big ways

Refrigerants contain chemical compounds known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs for short) that are a major source of destruction to the lower atmosphere. Studies show that once CFCs reach the atmosphere, the sun’s ultraviolet rays break down the compounds, releasing chlorine in the process. As a result, chlorine is released, causing ozone depletion until the refrigerant is broken down — a process that takes two years.

The Clean Air Act is working to stop ozone depletion

The Clean Air Act defines the Environmental Protection Agency’s responsibilities for protecting and improving the nation’s air quality and the ozone layer. But while the CAA is working to prohibit the release of CFCs and HCFCs, more needs to be done in terms of sustainable refrigeration.

Sustainable refrigerant is the future

Although there is no one clear refrigerant of the future, there are numerous promising options that could have a huge positive effect on our environment. Just some of these include:

Ammonia: When in refrigerant form, ammonia is completely colorless and odorless. Although ammonia is far better for the Earth’s ozone layer, it can cause damage to refrigeration equipment if it is contaminated with impurities.

Difluoroethane: Difluoroethane (DFE) is a member is a member of HCFC family, but unlike other HCFCs on the market, DFE has less global warming potential and its ozone depletion is virtually zero.

Hydrocarbon: When it comes to sustainable refrigerants of the future, hydrocarbon may be a game changer. Not only is it completely natural, it’s also nontoxic. It contains zero ozone depleting properties and it has minimal negative effects on global warming.

Propane: When used as a refrigerant, propane has no ozone depletion potential and its negative effects on climate change are very low. However, it is flammable, so the American market has been reluctant to embrace its use as a refrigerant.

Tetrafluoropropene: Originally developed to meet new European standards, this refrigerant is considered ideal for air conditioning systems. Its global warming potential is only a small fraction of other common refrigerants on the market, making it another sustainable choice.

Source: Five Star Refrigeration

Commercial HVAC Services In Baltimore, MD

While the future of sustainable refrigerant isn’t quite clear, we are continuously working to provide comfort in the most efficient way possible. Our products and services work to provide the comfortable atmosphere your commercial space needs without using antiquated means of refrigerant. If you’re in need of any commercial HVAC services, contact the Quick Servant team today.