What is Refrigerant Management?

The process of refrigerant management was recently listed as the #1 solution to global warming in Project Drawdown. This #1 listing took many by surprise and left them asking: What is refrigerant management, and why is it so important to environmental sustainability? And how do we better manage refrigeration and air conditioning? 

So, here’s what it is, and why it’s important to decreasing your environmental footprint and meeting corporate sustainability goals.

 

What is Refrigerant Management?

To explain what refrigerant management is in the simplest way possible, I’ve created a short video: 

 

 

As explained in the video, refrigerant management means, in short, the proper handling of refrigerants in your HVAC/R equipment.

You see, the most common refrigerants used in HVAC/R equipment today have ozone-depleting properties. 

As a result, regulations and sustainability initiatives around the world place accountability onto system owners to take control over refrigerants and manage their use throughout the lifecycle.

 

Some Examples of Refrigerant Management Regulations

✔ U.S.EPA 608, The National Refrigerant Management Program
✔ U.S. EPA GreenChill
✔ U.S. EPA SNAP
✔ European Union (EU) F-Gas Regulations
✔ Canada’s Federal Halocarbon Regulations
✔ Australia’s Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations
✔ Japan’s Act on Rational Use and Proper Management of Fluorocarbons
✔ California’s Refrigerant Management Program
✔ South Coast Air Quality Management (SCAQMD) Rule 1415
✔ U.S. Green Building Council
✔ ISO 14001
…Just to name a few. 

 

Why is Refrigerant Management Important?

Well, when you properly manage refrigerants, not only do you reduce your company’s environmental impact but you also save energy, improve operations, and mitigate risk. 

It is also important in solving the climate crisis – as mentioned, it is the number one solution to global warming. For a better environment and to curb greenhouse gases, we must turn our attention to refrigerant management, refrigerant tracking, and refrigerant emissions of a certain class.

 

Centering a Refrigerant Management Program

Very often, air conditioning and refrigerant management have been an afterthought, nearly invisible in the property management process and in corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals.

In order to curb greenhouse gases and stop the depletion of the ozone layer, we must turn our attention to refrigerant management programs, as Project Drawdown has insisted.

These programs are essential to fighting climate change and chemicals that release heat.

Companies interested in sustainability should be focusing their attention on their refrigeration systems and determining how to address their harm.

 

Trakref and Vanderbilt University Law School’s Findings

At Trakref, we’ve known about the impact of refrigerants on the atmosphere for awhile. That’s why we recently joined Vanderbilt University Law School to write a joint research report on private environmental governance and refrigerants. 
 
See the Report  
 
Just recently, refrigerant management has been receiving a lot more attention because Project Drawdown listed it as the #1 solution to global warming.

Yes, that’s right: the #1 solution. Shocking for many, but not surprising for us!

You might enjoy this quotation from Project Drawdown that emphasizes the importance of tracking refrigerants throughout the lifecycle.

 

 

How To Avoid Emissions

Now that you know that chemical refrigerants are a top cause of climate change, what can you do about it? One way is to ensure that you’re tracking your refrigerants closely. Software like Trakref can help you do this.

Trakref’s desktop software and app tracks hfc refrigerants and other harmful chemicals. You can manage leaks and ensure proper disposal of refrigerants so that they do not harm the environment further. If you’re serious about refrigerant management and reducing emissions (as well as potentially your costs), get in touch with us today.

 

Reducing Leaks

Reducing refrigerant leaks is one of the best ways that we can fight against our planet getting increasingly warm. They have a huge global warming potential, putting HVAC/R professionals on the front lines as they manage refrigeration systems.

The leaking of chemical refrigerants is ultimately depleting our ozone and causing climate change. Overseeing the reduction of leaks should be a top priority for HVAC/R professionals.

 

Potential Solutions

Some solutions that are being suggested are more regulations. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency continues to put more regulations and rules in place to curb emissions from refrigeration. Certain emissions are being phased out, which leads to a need for more compliance.

For individual businesses, this means paying more attention to compliance. Tools such as Trakref can help with this to make the process less daunting and more user-friendly.

Being in compliance is of course important to avoiding fines, but there it is also for the greater good to ensure that our planet is on the path to recovery.

 

New To Our Blog?

Well, we’re all about refrigerant management, so subscribe to our weekly updates.

Trakref not only answers the question “What is refrigerant management” – it solves the problem. We’re a software corporation that has been in the regulatory compliance software and environmental compliance calendar software space for years. As an environmental software provider, we make sure our refrigerant capabilities will help you in your journey toward compliance and sustainability, as well as helping with ESG reporting and answering sustainability audit questions. Get in touch with a Refrigerant Geek today.

If you enjoyed this article, you might want to check out:

EPA SNAP Lawsuit and HFC Refrigerant Ban

EPA 608 Changes in 2020