US EPA Publishes Changes to US Refrigerant Phasedown Rules

 

 

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking comments on proposed changes to US regulations for the phasedown of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants. These rules are found in the EPA’s Technology Transitions (TT) Rule that phases out the production, importation, and use of HFC refrigerants like R-410A in the United States.

The change of greatest interest to HRAI residential contractor members will be the elimination of installation deadlines for split systems manufactured or imported into the United States before 2025. This change is only for US domestic installation, and not for the export of completed R-410A systems into Canada.

While the TT Rule limits what can be exported out of the US, HRAI members will also need to consider Canadian restrictions on imports in the ODSHAR regulation. HRAI is still hopeful that Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) will begin the process for updating ODSHAR to keep up with the global shift to low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants in the near future. Canada’s current restrictions on high-GWP refrigerants like R-410A apply to some refrigeration systems and chillers, but not air conditioning or heat pump systems.

Developments in the United States are important for HRAI to monitor, though it is important to remember that ECCC may not necessarily align its actions with those of the U.S. HRAI continues to actively engage with ECCC on updates to the ODSHAR regulation and will keep members informed as the situation progresses.

Members selling equipment in the US in the following categories will want to review the EPA’s proposed changes (summary available by clicking here):

  • Refrigerated transport – intermodal containers
  • Industrial process refrigeration and chillers used for semiconductor manufacturing
  • Industrial process refrigeration for centrifuges and laboratory shakers
  • Retail food – supermarkets
  • Retail food – remote condensing units
  • Cold storage warehouses

You might also want to note that for some categories, no changes are proposed in the updated rule:

  • Variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems
  • Data centres, computer room AC, and IT cooling
  • Automatic commercial ice machines
  • Food processing and dispensing equipment
  • Ice cream makers

The EPA’s proposed rule is available, as is information on providing comments to the EPA, through the following link (comments can be submitted until November 21, 2025):

https://www.epa.gov/climate-hfcs-reduction/regulatory-actions-technology-transitions

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Perry Chao, HRAI’s Director of Regulatory Affairs, at pchao@hrai.ca. 

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