Building a Resilient Refrigerant Supply for the Low-GWP Transition

The AIM Act will cut allowable hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs, which contribute to global warming hundreds to thousands of times more than carbon dioxide) supply in half in 2029—from 60% to 30% of baseline—creating an unprecedented supply shortage for legacy refrigerants that will remain in service long after product allowances are capped. The industry’s success depends on industry-wide recovery efforts, coupled with innovative separation technology for mixed refrigerants. This panel discussion will focus on how the industry can scale to meet demand while accelerating the transition to lower-global warming potential (GWP) alternatives.

RMI’s Raghav Muralidharan will present on the panel, representing RMI’s focus on refrigerant reclamation as a vital function in the transition to lower-GWP alternatives. As we continue to phase down HFCs, legacy infrastructure that requires them will still be in operation. To address the structural gap of declining supply and ongoing demand, we need to prioritize more efficient management of the refrigerant already contained within the cooling equipment. Since so many cooling systems retain a large portion of their charge when retired (a national contractor survey found that more than half of residential systems retained 75% of their charge), scaling recovery and reclamation efforts can improve cooling affordability and reliability and contribute to the reduction of cooling-related global warming.