Guide to the New York HFC Phase Out

Do you and your team know about the New York HFC Phase Out? After the partial vacatur of SNAP Rules 20 and 21 at the federal level, numerous states are deciding to implement their own HFC phase downs for environmental sustainability; New York is one such example.

In fact, on September 23, 2020, amid Climate Week NYC, the state of New York announced a finalization of the new HFC regulations, so this post will cover what you should know now for decreasing your environmental footprint, being in compliance, and fitting their requirements into your own corporate sustainability plans. It will also be important to understand these requirements for ESG reporting and answering sustainability audit questions.

 

Background on the New York HFC Regulations

Announced in 2018

First and foremost, in 2018, New York announced it would be proposing and implementing regulations to phase down HFC refrigerants.

As a result, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DOE) proposed a new 6 NYCRR Part 494, Hydrofluorocarbon Standards and Reporting, which prohibits various HFC refrigerants in certain HVACR end-uses, akin to the U.S. EPA SNAP Rules 20 and 21. 

Regulations Finalized in September 2020

In March 2020, three public hearings for the proposed rule were held. The comment period subsequently closed.  Then, in a press release from the DOE dated September 23, 2020, it was announced that the formal Notice of Adoption for the New York HFC regulations is being filed with the Department of State.

The new regulations are anticipated to appear in the October 14, 2020 State Register. This brings us to our next point: what the regulations entail. 

 

Food Refrigeration & Large A/C Equipment Impacted

Takes Effect from 2021-2024

The regulations are set to go into effect over the next four years—that is, from 2021 through 2024. This means that you and your team should plan ahead and know which refrigerants are prohibited when and what end-uses.

Prohibitions Apply to Various Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning End-Uses

Essentially, the regulations apply to any person who sells, offers for sale, installs, uses, or enters into commerce any listed prohibited refrigerant in the applicable end-uses, such as the following:

• new or retrofitted food refrigeration equipment; 
• large air-conditioning equipment (or chillers); and
• vending machines.

Popular Refrigerants Affected

Popular HFC refrigerants impacted include HFC-134a; R-404A; R-407C; R-410A, and more. If you would like to see a full list of the prohibitions, please feel free to grab our handy chart on the New York HFC phase out. 

Get the NY HFC Phase Out Chart

New Innovation Challenge Also Announced

In addition, these regulations will supplement New York’s new Next Generation HVAC Innovation Challenge, a “$3 million initiative … to bring new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems for buildings.”

This new program was also featured in the same press release announcing the new HFC regulations on September 23, available here.

 

New York Joins Several States With HFC Regulations

With these new HFC regulations, the New York joins several other states who have also developed or are in the process of developing such similar regulatory controls.

One such example is California, which just recently new proposed GWP limits for certain refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment. 

As you can see, the refrigerant geeks at Trakref are closely following the various HFC refrigerant regulations across the country, so be sure to subscribe to our blog newsletter to receive a weekly email of our latest HVACR insight.

And if you’re looking to stay on top of the latest compliance rules in your own refrigerant tracking, get in touch with us today. 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 keep you in compliance. Get in touch with a Refrigerant Geek today.