AHRI to Begin New Low GWP Refrigerant Research Program

ARLINGTON, VA. July 29 -- The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) announced it will initiate a new cooperative research program to evaluate what it believes to be promising alternative refrigerants with a global warming potential (GWP) of less than 300, for the most common HVACR product categories which includes air conditioners, heat pumps, chillers and heat pump water heaters. 

The Lower GWP Alternative Refrigerants Evaluation Program (Lower GWP AREP) is intended to avoid duplication of effort by member companies seeking reliable refrigerant performance data. AHRI has solid experience to rely on, having guided the HVACR industry through similar refrigerant evaluations that brought it R-410A and other alternatives to R-22 in the 1990s and again in the 2010s with alternatives to the higher GWP non-R-22 refrigerants. The AHRI team will lead and coordinate the industry-driven research in a cooperative manner with industry experts from AHRI member companies.

The first step will involve the help of chemical producers, as they will be asked to develop a list of the most promising alternative refrigerants. Those candidates will undergo compressor calorimeter testing, system drop-in testing (if applicable) and soft-optimized system testing. 

Evaluations will include refrigerant stability and compatibility with lubricants, and other common materials will also be tested if necessary. Tests will be conducted at the laboratories of participating companies using their resources and at their own expense.

Participating AHRI member companies will form a Technical Committee to oversee the research, which will itself be supervised by the AHR Research and Technology Committee. The member Technical Committee will first develop detailed test protocols, prioritize tasks should refrigerant samples have limited availability and ensure the quality of the published results.

Once the Technical Committee roster is finalized, an open solicitation will be made to both U.S. and foreign manufacturers to participate in the testing program. Testing is expected to begin in January 2026.