The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States has proposed a list of A2L refrigerants as lower GWP alternatives to R410A in self-contained and split-system air conditioning units.
The proposal has been submitted to the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) which was established to identify substitutes for ozone depleting substances. The list includes R32, R452B, R454A, R454B, R454C and R457A for use in new residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pumps.
According to the EPA the proposed list can only be used in equipment specifically designed for use with these refrigerants.
Limits are placed on charge sizes, and include greater ventilation requirements, refrigerant leak sensors, alarms and self-shutoff valves.
The proposal stipulates the inclusion of a number of safety and flammability warning labels both inside and outside the equipment.
While R32 has already been widely adopted around the globe, the other five refrigerants are blends made up of R32, R125, R1234yf and R152a.