Phase-Down of R-22 is Nearly Complete

MCCLELLAN, CA—Bluon Energy is a fast-growing company with a mission to provide practical solutions for the post Freon/R-22 refrigerant world. And, one of its board advisors and investors is none other than Leonardo DiCaprio.

Bluon’s founder, Peter Capuciati, is a physicist who spent 20 years in the commercial real estate industry. In the first of a two-part exclusive, Capuciati, executive chairman of the board of the McClellan, CA-based company, recently discussed the company’s focus on HVAC, the problematic nature of R-404 and R-22, and the phase-out process.

GlobeSt.com: Why did Bluon originally focus on HVAC/?

Capuciati: I was introduced to a small team working on an early version of an energy-efficient replacement to R-22 and immediately recognized the vast potential for such a product, given my commercial real estate and science background. I was one of the very few who recognized the coming unexpected consequences of the R-22 phase down–which is a huge increase in electricity consumption from of our vast existing HVAC infrastructure. I knew that all of the existing replacements caused a substantial loss of efficiency when replacing R-22. The environmental impact of R-22 as an hydrochloro-florocarbon/HCFC may pale in comparison to the unintended consequences of substantially increasing our electricity needs if we are unable to find an R-22 replacement that is at the very least as efficient as R-22. Bluon represents the first and only replacement, TdX 20 (R-458A), that is actually more efficient than R-22 when used in existing HVAC infrastructure.

GlobeSt.com: Why are R-22 and R-404 refrigerants problematic, and what sets TdX 20 apart from these industry standards?

Capuciati: R-22 and R-404 are problematic for very different reasons. R-22, which is an HCFC that contains chlorine, negatively impacts the ozone layer of our atmosphere. The Montreal Protocols established a global phase-out of all ozone-depleting chemicals, of which R-22 is one. The phase-down of R-22 is nearly complete and after 2019, there will be no more production or importation of R-22 into the US and the rest of the developed world. The developing world’s phase-down completes in 2040. R-22 is also a greenhouse gas which is viewed negatively, however that is not the reason for the phase-down and ironically R-22 is actually far better than most of its replacements from a global warming potential perspective. R-22 has a global warming potential of 1810.

R-404 is not an ozone-depleting substance, however it is one of the worst greenhouse gases with a global warming potential of nearly 4,000, making it one of the worst in the industry in terms of its ability to trap heat in the atmosphere. R-404 is widely used in the refrigeration industry and ironically became popular as an R-22 replacement in the early years of the R-22 phase-down. Believe it or not, most companies still use R-404 or its evil sister R-507 because it is extremely cheap and readily available.  There is very little attention or awareness of its use and its impact. We see it being used in large new projects even now in California.

TdX 20 is also an hydrofluorocarbon but it has a vastly lower global warming potential (1650) and more importantly, TdX 20 improves energy efficiency by up to 25% when installed in any system that was previously running either R-22 or R-404. This increase in efficiency is far more impactful to the environment in comparison to the impact of its relatively low global warming potential. This is because, when one is considering the overall impact a refrigerant has on global warming/greenhouse gases, one must look at the impact caused by the electricity generation required to run the equipment, which is 90% or more of the total impact, leaving the impact from the global warming potential or refrigerant leaking into the atmosphere at 10% or less.

GlobeSt.com: What are the benefits of using Bluon’s refrigerants as opposed to other alternatives on the market? How do they compare to other energy-efficiency measures?

Capuciati: TdX 20 is unique in the refrigerant market for three primary reasons: it is the only energy-efficient replacement for R-22, meaning it represents an upgrade to R-22 with a powerful return on investment. Also, it is the only replacement refrigerant that offers comprehensive technical support surrounding its installation and use. This includes a team of industry veterans on call to help contractors in the field anytime/anywhere as well as an industry first mobile app containing a database of more than 10,000 pieces of equipment with specific tuning and installation instructions for each as well as a set of unique tools to assist the contractors with the installation of TdX 20. Finally, it is the only R-22 replacement likely to increase equipment longevity due to its known ability to decrease compressor head temperatures, decrease operating pressures and increase compressor stability.

GlobeSt.com: What are the global warming potential and ozone depletion characteristics of TdX 20?

Capuciati: The global warming potential is 1650, the lowest of any EPA approved R-22 replacement for use in HVAC, and the ozone depletion potential is 0.00.