## Refrigeration a **nd Air Conditioning Sector Stakeholder**  **Workshop: Stationary Air Conditioning** 

December 4, 2013

10:00 AM

– 12:00 PM EST 1310 L Street NW, Washington DC, Room 152



## Concept Note

EPA is hosting a series of workshop s for interested stakeholders to exchange information on the sectors considered under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program and included for analytical purposes in EPA’s Vintaging Model. R efrigeration and air conditioning is the largest SNA P sector ; therefore , the Agency will be hosting multiple workshops on different end

uses and applications within the refrigeratio n and air conditioning sector.

This workshop will concentrate on stationary air conditioning end uses and applications including residential air conditioning applications (except window air conditioners and portable room air conditioners) , heat pumps, light commercial air conditioning, chillers, and industrial process air conditioning.

The SNAP program was established in 1994 by Section 612 of the Clean Air Act to ensure that
alternatives to ozone

- depleting substances used in key sectors pose lower overall risk to human
health and the en vironment than what is currently or potentially available. Toward that end, SNAP reviews alternatives based on toxicity, flammability, ozone

- depletion potential, global warming potential, environmental fate, and other criteria. On June 25, 2013, President Obama
announced the Climate Action Plan that will “[keep] the United States of America a leader, a global leader in the fight against climate change.” As part of his plan, President Obama directed EPA to use its authority through the SNAP Program “to encou rage private

- sector investment in
low

- emissions technology by identifying and approving climate

- friendly chemicals while prohibiting certain uses of the most harmful chemical alternatives.” EPA hosted a separate SNAP Stakeholder meeting on August 22, 2013, to begin a dialogue between stakeholders and EPA on next steps and effective app roaches going forward to meet the goals for the SNAP program.

The purpose of th e December 4 th sector workshop is to foster dialogue between stakeholders
and EPA and discuss information on the current and future use of various refrigerants in stationary air conditioning applications

. To help frame our discussion, please consider the questions below ahead of the mee ting.

## Agenda

1. Welcome & Introductions

2. Background

a. Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program

b. President’s Climate Action Plan

c. Vintaging Model

3. Discussion

a. In many sectors the SNAP program is receiving an increased number of

submissions. SNAP current has a few air conditioning submissions and has acted on others in the past several years. Are new substitutes anticipated for stationary air conditioning ? Do you foresee more transitions from existing alternatives?

b. What benefits have you seen from transitions? Decreased cost? Support sustainability goals? Better for the environment, performance?

c. Where a transition has been made, particularly to climate

- friendly alternatives, what benefits have you experienced from making the change?

d. What ar e the barriers precluding transition to safer alternatives?

i. What transition times would be needed to move to alternatives?

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

e. Under what circumstances/conditions would it make sense for EPA to change the listing status of certain high

- GWP HFCs?

f. What are some ways that SNAP can help “encourage private

- sector investment in

low

- emissions technolog[ies](?)”

g. Are there ways to provide a degree of certainty for future investments while “prohibiting certain uses of the most harmful” alternatives?

h. What are appropriate lifetimes to assume for various types of equipment ?

i. Can companies or trade associations share additional data to inform our understanding of the air conditioning sector ?