Aust wholesaler lowers CO2 through HVAC innovation

Australian wholesaler Actrol has chosen an energy-efficient refrigerant from Honeywell for use in its condensing units, which are often found in supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants and standalone equipment.

The company, which specialises in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC-R), selected Honeywell’s Solstice L40X (R-455A) technology for its low global warming potential (GWP), which aligns with Australia’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions from high-GWP refrigerants by 85% before 2036.

“At Actrol, we believe we have a responsibility to minimise our overall impact on climate change; this includes offering more sustainable alternatives to our customers,” said Sam Ansell, operations leader at Actrol. “We work in close partnership with our suppliers to identify innovative methods of reducing our collective footprint. We partnered with Honeywell due to their extensive experience in the field of refrigeration and low-carbon technologies.”

Honeywell has invested more than US$1 billion in the research, development and creation of new capacity for its Solstice technology, which currently has applications in refrigerants, blowing agents, aerosols and solvents, and is also being evaluated for expanded use in metered dose inhalers.

Honeywell said that since its introduction in 2011, the use of Solstice technology has helped avoid the potential release of the equivalent of more than 395 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This is equivalent to the carbon emissions from more than 94 million gasoline-powered passenger vehicles in a year.¹

“Across the globe, our customers are increasingly interested in opportunities to adopt new, innovative technologies that offer sustainable alternatives to refrigerants with high global warming potential and enable them to reduce their carbon footprints, while enhancing energy efficiency,” said Leo Li, general manager of sustainability and decarbonisation at Honeywell Advanced Materials, Asia Pacific.

“Our partnership with Actrol reinforces that Honeywell’s Solstice solution is a reliable, regulatory-compliant refrigerant that can help countries meet their carbon emission reduction targets.”

_{1. Calculations are based on actual sales of Solstice products (in lbs) from Jan 2010 through Dec 2023, and utilise the EPA GHG equivalency calculator for conversion.}

Image credit: iStock.com/kupicoo