Refrigeration and Air Conditioning 

Stakeholder Workshop: 

Household Appliances

November 15, 2013

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Introduction

• Why household appliances, why now?

– EPA is conducting a series of SNAP sector workshops

– Refrigeration and air conditioning is the third sector in series

• Household appliances is our first ref/AC workshop

• Scope of the Meeting

– Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program

– Climate Action Plan 

– HCFC Product Labeling

– Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Program

– Vintaging Model

• Discussion

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Identifying Safer Alternatives

SNAP Program 

• Evaluates substitutes that reduce overall risk to human 

health & environment in industrial sectors

– Aerosols, Foams, Refrigeration and A/C, Solvents, 

Fire Suppression, Adhesives, coatings & inks, etc.

• 400+ substitutes reviewed considering: 

– Ozone-depleting potential

– Global warming potential

– Flammability

– Toxicity

– Local air quality

– Ecosystem effects

– Occupational & consumer health/safety

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Progress Under SNAP

• In Title VI of the CAA, Congress directed EPA to create a 

clearinghouse of listings with the goal of smoothing transition 

to safer alternatives since 1994

– Industry innovation has made this process seamless from consumer 

perspective; regular SNAP list updates promote certainty and stability 

while encouraging continued innovation

• SNAP is an Expanding Menu of Options That:

– Are reviewed for health and environmental protection criteria

– Reduce ODS/GHG emissions

– Promote responsible practices to reduce emissions

• Unique Review Program Supporting Global Transition

• Sector-Focused Coordination

– Long-standing cooperation with U.S. Stakeholders

– Work supporting national/international standards and codes revisions, 

removing barriers to adoption of alternatives

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SNAP Listings

• SNAP lists alternatives as acceptable, unacceptable, or 

acceptable with conditions for use

• Alternatives include:

– Alternative chemicals/blends 

– Alternative technologies (e.g., thermoelectric)

• Next generation alternatives

– Many climate-friendly options

• Currently SNAP has approximately 25 active submissions 

– EPA has been getting many more submissions in recent years, 

particularly for foams, air-conditioning, and refrigeration

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What Does the President’s Climate 

Action Plan Say about HFCs?

• Continue International Diplomacy

– Lead negotiations under the Montreal Protocol to phase down HFCs

• Global phase down could reduce over 90 gigatons of CO2eq by 2050, 

equal to roughly two years' worth of current global GHG emissions 

– Work with partners in the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce 

Short-Lived Climate Pollutants to promote climate-friendly alternatives 

to high-GWP HFCs, address standards, & reduce emissions from HFC 

use 

• Address Through Domestic Actions

– Use existing Clean Air Act authority of Significant New Alternatives 

Policy (SNAP) Program to approve climate-friendly chemicals, prohibit 

some uses of most harmful

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– Provide federal leadership by purchasing cleaner 

alternatives to HFCs whenever feasible and by 

transitioning to equipment using safer, more 

sustainable alternatives
What the Climate Action Plan 

Means for SNAP

• Prioritize review of alternatives that are safer for the climate

– In the context of SNAP’s broader criteria

– Innovative companies have invested in low-GWP alternatives

– Forward-leaning manufacturers of advanced technologies and 

equipment can provide near-term reductions in emissions

• Support, fit within, broader HFC strategy

– Listing additional low-GWP options positions U.S. industries to better 

meet potential future phasedown steps

– Responds to federal procurement needs to “purchase cleaner 

alternatives to HFCs whenever feasible”

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SNAP & Household Appliances

• Multiple options available under SNAP

– Include HFCs such as HFC-134a and non-fluorinated options such as 

hydrocarbons

– End uses are household refrigerators, freezers, refrigerator/freezers, 

wine coolers; residential AC; water coolers; residential dehumidifiers 

• 2011 Hydrocarbon Refrigerants Rule: EPA listed 3 

hydrocarbon substitutes as acceptable, subject to use 

conditions

– Isobutane (R-600a) and R-441A as a refrigerant in new household 

refrigerators, freezers, or combination refrigerator and freezers;

– Propane (R-290) as a refrigerant in new retail food refrigerators and 

freezers (stand-alone units only)

• Additional submissions under consideration

– Household refrigerators/freezers; self-contained room AC; 

dehumidifiers; several commercial refrigeration uses

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Standards

UL Standards with Requirements for Flammable Refrigerants

• UL 250: Household Refrigerators and Freezers

• UL 399: Drinking Water Coolers

• UL 427: Refrigerating Units

• UL 471: Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers

• UL 484: Room Air Conditioners

• UL 541: Refrigerated Vending Machines 

• UL 563: Ice Makers

UL Standards Lacking Requirements for Flammable 

Refrigerants:

• UL 1995: Heating and Cooling Equipment – covers wide variety of nonself-contained stationary AC,; e.g. residential splits, building chillers.

• UL 60335-2-40: Safety of Household and Similar Electrical Appliances, 

Part 2, Particular Requirements for Electrical Heat Pumps, Air 

Conditioners and Dehumidifiers

• UL 474: Dehumidifiers

• UL 621: Ice-cream makers 10
HCFC Product Labeling

• As of January 1, 2015 any product manufactured with or 

containing an HCFC must be labeled:

WARNING: [Contains / Manufactured with] [name of 

HCFC], a substance which harms public health and 

environment by destroying ozone in the upper 

atmosphere

• Foams imported after 2014 and products incorporating 

foams manufactured/imported after 2014

– Any product containing closed cell foam blown with an HCFC must 

be labeled as a “product containing” HCFCs

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Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD): EPA 

partnership with 55 retailers, utilities, & manufacturers to 

responsibly recycle household appliances

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RAD Supports and Recognizes 

Partners’ Green Goals

• Ozone Layer Protection

– Prevent release of 1.5 lbs

ODS per fridge

• Climate Benefits

– ≥1 MTCO2eq per fridge

• Cleaner, Safer Communities

– >150 lbs of Durable Goods

– Safe handling of hazardous materials 

• Energy Savings

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U.S. EPA Vintaging Model

• What? Tool to track U.S. types of equipment (“end-uses”) of 

ODS and substitutes

• Where? Major Sectors: Aerosols, Foams, Solvents, Fire 

Protection, Refrigeration/AC

• When? Tracks chemical from when first produced and placed 

in equipment or product (“consumption”) through servicing and 

use until finally recycled/released to atmosphere (“emissions”)

• Who? EPA tool developed with input from industry 

– Other data sources (some CBI)

• Why? Required reporting and other analyses of consumption 

and emissions of ODS and substitutes

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Vintaging Model – Uses

• Analysis of HCFC phaseout & servicing needs

– Estimated needs and available supplies (MP cap, recoverable)

• Projections of consumption and emissions for alternatives 

(e.g., HFCs)

– What if scenarios

• Reporting for international regimes

– Consumption and emissions

– Annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions

– Biannual National Communications (Climate Action Report)

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Aerosols Foam

Solvents Ref/AC

ODS Substitutes

Fire

Commercial Refrig

Industrial Process Domestic Refrig

Refrigeration

Transport Refrig Stationary AC

Mobile AC

Supermarkets

Condensing Units

Stand-Alone Units

Ice Makers

Display Cases

Vending Machines

Systems/Chillers

Cold Storage

Road

Rail

Ships

Containers

Residential

Small Commercial

Reciprocating Large Commercial

Dehumidifiers

Window Units

Central AC/HP

Ground-Source

PTAC/PTHP

Large Unitary

Small Unitary

Scrolls

Screw

Centrifugal

CFC-11

CFC-12

Mini-Splits

Buses

Trains

Light Duty

Cars

Trucks/SUVs

School/Tour

Transit

Wine Coolers

Water Coolers
Aerosols Foam

Solvents Ref/AC

ODS Substitutes

Fire

Commercial Refrig

Industrial Process Domestic Refrig

Refrigeration

Transport Refrig Stationary AC

Mobile AC

Supermarkets

Condensing Units

Stand-Alone Units

Ice Makers

Display Cases

Vending Machines

Systems/Chillers

Cold Storage

Road

Rail

Ships

Containers

Residential

Small Commercial

Reciprocating Large Commercial

Dehumidifiers

Window Units

Central AC/HP

Ground-Source

PTAC/PTHP

Large Unitary

Small Unitary

Scrolls

Screw

Centrifugal

CFC-11

CFC-12

Mini-Splits

Buses

Trains

Light Duty

Cars

Trucks/SUVs

School/Tour

Transit

Wine Fridges

Water Coolers
Data & Assumptions

• Number of Appliances 

Placed on U.S. Market 

Each Year

• Refrigerant Transition

– R-22 to R-410A in 2009-10

• Average Charge Size

– 1.26 pounds (R-22) 

– 1.07 pounds (R-410A)

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• Average Lifetime

– 12 years (from 1996 National Family Opinion Inc. survey)

• Average Leak Rates

– 0.55%/year (or ~1 in 200 experience catastrophic loss)

– 50% at end-of-life (or 1 in 2 are properly recovered)
Discussion Questions
Discussion Questions: Sector 

Transitions

• In many sectors, SNAP is receiving an increased number of 

submissions. SNAP currently has several household appliance 

submissions and has acted on others in recent years. 

– Do you anticipate sharing new substitutes for household appliances with 

SNAP soon? 

– Do you foresee more transitions from existing alternatives?

• What benefits have you seen from transitions? 

– Decreased cost? Improved support for corporate sustainability goals? 

Better for the environment, performance?

• Where a transition has been made, particularly to climate-friendly 

alternatives, what benefits have you experienced from making the 

change? 

• What are barriers to adoption of safer alternatives?

– What transition times are needed to adopt alternatives? 

– What end uses will require continued servicing and for how long?

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Additional Discussion 

Questions

• Under what circumstances/conditions would it make sense for 

EPA to change the listing status of certain high-GWP HFCs?

• What are some ways that SNAP can help “encourage privatesector investment in low-emissions technolog[ies](?)”

• How can EPA provide a degree of certainty for future investments 

while “prohibiting certain uses of the most harmful” alternatives?

• What are appropriate lifetimes to assume for various household 

appliances?

• Can your company or trade association share additional data to 

inform our understanding of the appliance market? 

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Discussion