The United States government is looking to expand the commercial use of propane (R290) under its SNAP (Significant New Alternatives Policy) Program.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) administers the program which added a number of refrigerants including R290 to its program last year.
SNAP officials said propane is currently used in new domestic refrigerators and freezers up to a charge size of 57g and this should be expanded to include new commercial ice machines, water coolers, and very low temperature refrigeration equipment.
At the same time the EPA is seeking to ban a number of refrigerants from retrofit use in residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pump applications.
Restrictions would apply to R404A, R407C, R134a and R410A and a number of “drop-in” replacements in certain chiller and retail food refrigeration applications.
EPA administrator Gina McCarthy said the proposal will expand the list of climate-friendly alternatives and change the status of certain higher-global warming potential (GWP) substances that were previously listed as acceptable.
“This new proposal would reduce the use and emissions of some of the most harmful HFCs, which are thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide, and approves safer, more climate-friendly alternatives to protect public health and our environment,” she said.
A more detailed update will be included in CCN's refrigerant feature which appears in the June edition of the magazine.