The United States HVACR industry will invest $5 billion to develop the next-generation of refrigerants for air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment.
Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) President and CEO Stephen Yurek said close to $2 billion has already been spent by industry since 2009 researching energy efficient equipment and low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants.
Attending a White House Council on Environmental Quality event, Yurek said that over the next decade, the HVACR industry will invest an additional $5 billion for R&D and capital expenditures to develop and commercialize low-GWP technologies.
He said the figures is proof of the good work being done by the private sector to develop low GWP alternatives.
The event was attended by Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy, and State Department Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern.
Yurek provided examples of the proactive efforts by the HVACR industry to protect the ozone layer by developing non-chlorine-containing refrigerants, and agreeing to an aggressive timetable to phase-out ozone depleting chemicals while also improving the energy efficiency of equipment.
He also pointed to AHRI’s Low-GWP Alternative Refrigerants Evaluation Program, launched in 2011 without government encouragement.
The first phase of the program was completed late last year and the second phase of the program is now underway. The intent of the program is to evaluate different refrigerants in several applications.
“The industry is committed to working with the international community in transitioning away from high-GWP refrigerants in a managed and orderly process, and this research is a tangible part of that commitment,” Yurek said.
