Covered Products
Sealed and unsealed refrigerant containing equipment.
Goal
To lower the climate impacts of leaked refrigerants from New York State’s operations.
Definitions
Global Warming Potential (GWP) – refers to how potent the refrigerant is in trapping heat in the atmosphere vs. carbon dioxide over a 100-year period, based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. A refrigerant with a GWP of 1,700 means that the refrigerant has 1,700 times the heat-trapping potential of CO2.
Sealed Equipment that Uses Refrigerants – equipment where the refrigerants are sealed by the manufacturer. Examples can include, but are not limited to, refrigerators, window air conditioning units, coolers, packaged terminal air conditioners or heat pumps.
Unsealed Equipment that Uses Refrigerants – custom installed equipment at a facility that uses refrigerants that are not sealed by the manufacturer. Examples can include, but are not limited to, HVAC systems, chillers, or VRF heat pumps.
Specification
Purchasing of New Sealed and Unsealed Equipment that Uses Refrigerants
All Equipment that Uses Refrigerants
All affected entities shall purchase equipment that contains low GWP refrigerant and foam products that are in compliance with 6 NYCRR Part 494, Hydrofluorocarbon Standards and Reporting.
Sealed Equipment that Uses Refrigerants
All affected entities shall, to the maximum extent practicable, evaluate options that utilize the lowest GWP refrigerant available.
Affected entities are also encouraged to purchase equipment that utilizes a refrigerant with a low GWP if it is determined that the low GWP equipment meets the form, function, and utility of the equipment’s use case.
Unsealed Equipment that Uses Refrigerants
All affected entities shall, to the maximum extent practicable, evaluate options for equipment that utilizes the lowest GWP available.
Affected entities are also encouraged to purchase equipment with a low GWP if the evaluation determines that the low GWP equipment fits the form, function, and utility of the equipment’s use case.
In addition, all affected entities are encouraged, to the maximum extent practicable, to purchase equipment that contains a built-in leak detection system.
Maintenance and Operations of Custom Installed Equipment That Contains Refrigerants
All affected entities shall, to the maximum extent practicable, take steps to reduce leaks from new and existing unsealed equipment that uses refrigerants. Activities to reduce leaks include:
- Creating, and implementing, a leak detection program,
- Conducting an annual inventory of refrigerant usage; and
- Creating an agency-wide refrigerant management plan
Managing Refrigerants at End of Life
All affected entities shall, to the maximum extent practicable, follow proper end-of-life guidance for both unsealed and sealed equipment that uses refrigerants to ensure that excess refrigerants are recovered and not leaked.