Industry News

Honeywell Launches New Non-Flammable Refrigerant ORLANDO — Honeywell announced the launch of Solstice N15 (R-515B), a new, A1 nonflammable and low-global-warming potential (LGWP) refrigerant replacement for R-134a for use in chillers and heat pumps.

With a GWP of 299 (AR5), Solstice N15 is an environmentally preferable, energyefficient and safe alternative to higher global warming potential solutions that do not fully address long-term efficiency and GWP requirements. The new refrigerant, which will be commercially available this year, was unveiled at the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration (AHR) Expo in Orlando.

Solstice N15 has been adopted by leading compressor manufacturer Danfoss for use in its new Turbocor TGS490 compressor, which can be used in air or water-cooled chiller applications for air conditioning. The Turbocor TGS490 received the AHR Expo 2020 Innovation Award in the “Green Building” category.

“The nonflammability of Solstice N15, combined with the refrigerant’s low global warming potential, made this solution a natural choice for our Turbocor TG Series compressors,” said Frank Ford, director of product management at Danfoss Turbocor. “The new Turbocor TGS490 compressor has been fully optimized for both 1234ze and R-515B refrigerants, which means customers can benefit from improved system efficiency but also match the cooling capacity of R-134a thanks to lower pressure characteristics of the new compressor.”

As a non-flammable R-134A replacement, Solstice N15 can be used immediately by chiller and heat pump manufacturers where safety standards and buildings codes limit the use of A2L and A3 refrigerants. Its similar product design to 1234ze will provide original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with a long-term solution that is flexible for both A1 and A2L refrigerants. >> honeywell.com

Chemours Installs Opteon Refrigerant at Pepsi Center WILMINGTON, Del. – The Chemours Company (Chemours) announced today the successful installation of Opteon refrigerant at Pepsi Center, home of the Colorado Avalanche. Opteon, the official refrigerant solution of the NHL, is a sustainable, reliable and cost-effective refrigerant offering for ice refrigeration chiller systems. Trane, one of the world’s leading heating, ventilation, air conditioning and cooling (HVAC) equipment manufacturers, provided the turn-key chiller solution for the arena’s rink operators. Opteon refrigerants provide an optimal balance of performance, safety, and cost efficiency compared to other alternatives, while providing sustainable solutions for ice rinks. Opteon XP10 (R-513A) refrigerant is a non-ozone depleting potential, low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant for new equipment and retrofit of existing systems. As demonstrated by the successful chiller conversion at Pepsi Center, Opteon XP10 offers an excellent cooling capacity and energy efficiency match for R-134a that is easily serviced and environmentally sustainable.

“KSE and Pepsi Center are committed to creating a superb gameday experience for players and fans, alike,” said, Doug Ackerman, senior vice president, Venues at Kroenke Sports Enterprises. “From puck movement to the traction of skate blades, ice quality can have a significant impact on the quality of play, and I am pleased that the recent transition of Pepsi Center to an Opteon based refrigerant system has met that challenge and demonstrated top quality ice production.”

As part of the Montreal Protocol, production of broadly-used HCFC refrigerants has been phased out. HFCs are expected to be phased down over the next several years due to proposed state and federal regulation of high GWP refrigerants. As many of the rinks in North America, particularly in the USA, currently use these refrigerants, the NHL and Chemours are committed to working with ice rinks owners and operators across North America to help them navigate the refrigerant landscape and identify costeffective, safe, environmentally-preferable alternatives that make sense for them. >> chemours.com

HARDI Distributors Report 7.4 Percent Revenue Growth in December COLUMBUS, Ohio — Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) released its monthly TRENDS report, showing the average sales performance by HARDI distributors was an increase of 7.4 percent percent during December 2019.

The average annual sales growth for the 12 months through December 2019 is 5.3 percent.

“Sales growth for the month was helped by an extra billing day and it needed it because heating degree days were well below normal in five of our seven regions,” said HARDI Market Research & Benchmarking Analyst Brian Loftus. “The dollar weighted annual growth was also near 5 percent, so that looks like a fair assessment of the year versus the unusually strong 2018.”

The Days Sales Outstanding (DSO), a measure of how quickly customers pay their bills, is near 50 days. “The DSO was a bit higher than the recent Decembers,” Loftus said. “This is the second consecutive month that the DSO has been about a day or more higher than the prior year.”

“The economy has been growing in the 2 percent area. The consensus expectation even before the coronavirus disruption, was for some modest easing of that pace in the new year,” Loftus said. The latest HARDInomics quarterly indicates only a few states are experiencing a noticeably slower pace. The lack of excesses in the economy despite the duration of the expansion supports the soft-landing consensus expectation.

HARDI members do not receive financial compensation in exchange for their monthly sales data and can discontinue their participation without prior notice or penalty. Participation is voluntary, and the depth of market coverage varies from region to region. An independent entity collects and compiles the data that can include products not directly associated with the HVACR industry. >> hardinet.org

Friedrich Introduces Wi-Fi Technology for Ductless Split Systems SAN ANTONIO – Marking a first for the U.S. air conditioning market, Friedrich Air Conditioning Company unveiled built-in Wi-Fi capabilities for its Floating Air Series ductless split systems. Available in March for the company’s Premier and Pro wallmounted and Pro ceiling cassette models, Friedrich showcased its latest Wi-Fi-enabled ductless products at the AHR Expo 2020 held in Orlando.

Friedrich’s latest efforts to pioneer integrated Wi-Fi capabilities will help drive even greater demand for ductless among U.S. residential and commercial customers looking for the ultimate in air conditioning convenience and control. With Friedrich Wi-Fienabled Floating Air Series models, users can control their system from anywhere anytime using the FriedrichGo app to easily adjust settings or power their units off and on using their smartphone or other connected device. FriedrichGo also is compatible with Amazon Alexa or Google Home for voice-controlled convenience.

“In many circumstances, ductless is simply the wisest choice and now we’ve just made it that much smarter,” said TJ Wheeler, Friedrich vice president of marketing and product management. “Friedrich’s integrated Wi-Fi technology takes the convenience, efficiency and control that customers already love about ductless to a whole new level.” Built-in Wi-Fi capability is just the latest ductless system innovation spearheaded by Friedrich. Last year, the company unveiled a number of advancements benefiting the HVAC trade, including introducing FastPro technology designed to make ductless system installation, cleaning and servicing up to 50 percent faster, easier and more convenient for its Floating Air Pro and Premier Series. >> friedrich.com