Honeywell has announced a strategic partnership with the Midea Group to replace R-410A with Solstice N41 (R-466A) in HVAC applications, including variable refrigerant flow (VRF) and chiller systems.
Honeywell vice president and general manager of stationary refrigerants, Chris LaPietra, said R-466A is a non-flammable and lower global-warming-potential (GWP) refrigerant for stationary air conditioning systems.
“We’ve partnered with the best-of-the-best in our industry to validate the performance of Solstice N41 as a breakthrough solution,” he said.
“We are helping to solve for safety, energy efficiency and environmental sustainability with this solution, which offers a GWP that is 65 per cent lower than R-410A. Key partnerships like the one we have with Midea help ensure it is ready for broad industry adoption later this year.”
Once commercially available in late 2019, Solstice N41 will be the first non-flammable, reduced GWP R-410A replacement offered for stationary air conditioning systems. All other reduced-GWP alternatives proposed to date as R-410A replacements are flammable.
Midea Group general manager of the central air conditioning division, Mingli Tian, said Solstice N41 is a
promising option to ensure its products are compliant with environmental regulations in target markets.
“This cooperation will help us enter the new future with a sustainable and safe offering for end users,” Tian added.
When it comes to safety, Honeywell said Solstice N41 significantly reduces the need for additional design and eliminates the need to incorporate the sensors and valves typically required for minimizing flammability risk.
“Early results also indicate this nonflammable, reduced global warming alternative to R-410A will eliminate the need for specialized contractor training for flammability mitigation -- a big advantage for the industry as it struggles to recruit and retain certified contractors,” the company said in a statement.
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