The primary factor driving refrigerant regulations today is stratospheric ozone depletion. Approved in 1987, the Montreal Protocol regulates the production and use of chemicals found to contribute to the depletion of the earth’s ozone layer.

What does reduced ozone mean for maintenance and engineering managers and their organizations’ refrigerant needs? Until recently, most refrigerants used by chillers and other cooling equipment fell into the category of ozone-depleting substances.

Today, managers have many refrigerant options that can help minimize negative effects on the ozone layer. But the relationship of these options to current market trends is not always clear.

By understanding where regulations started, as well as current market trends, managers can take steps to prepare for imminent changes in refrigerant availability, including having an incremental chiller replacement or retrofit plan to avoid costly equipment changes in the next decade.

Click Here to see the full story written by SSRCx's Jamie Qualk and published in the June 2007 issue of Maintenance Solutions.