— Non-flammable, energy-efficient Solstice N71 (R-471A) refrigerant meets stricter regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
— Solstice N71 expands Honeywell’s line of Solstice products for the supermarket industry
MORRIS PLAINS, N.J – Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) today announced an innovative, new low-global-warming-potential (GWP) refrigerant for commercial and industrial refrigeration that is optimized for supermarkets Solstice N71. The product meets the needs of grocers and retailers who are seeking low-global-warming solutions ahead of likely regulatory changes.
The newest addition to Honeywell’s proprietary low-GWP line of Solstice solutions for various applications, Solstice N71 (R-471A) is the supermarket industry’s first non-flammable and energy-efficient solution with a GWP of less than 150.
Solstice N71 is the latest addition to Honeywell’s Solstice product family, which already includes Solstice N40, the most frequently used R-404A replacement refrigerant in the grocery business. Since its launch in 2015, Solstice N40 has been embraced by over 60,000 retailers around the world. Honeywell’s Solstice N71 is a next-generation solution that complies with increasingly demanding climate change requirements and accelerates the industry’s ability to reach carbon neutrality. Honeywell’s track record of sharply reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of its operations and buildings, as well as its decades-long history of innovation to help its clients reach their environmental and social goals, is reflected in the new addition to the Solstice line.
The launch of Solstice N71 will give supermarkets a much-needed lifeline, allowing them to comply with new regulations, such as those in California and the European Union, which prohibit the use of refrigerants with a GWP of more than 150 in new systems. A comparable national law is being considered by the US Environmental Protection Agency, which might go into force in 2024. The California Air Resource Board (CARB), the US Environmental Protection Agency’s AIM Act, and the EU’s pre-existing F-Gas regulation emanating from the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol to phase down hydrofluorocarbons have all influenced these limits.
“The supermarket industry, along with countless other sectors, continues to face evolving regulations that make maintaining performance and sustainability challenging,” said John Keating, vice president and general manager of Honeywell’s stationary refrigerants business. “We anticipated this latest transition for refrigerants, and we are proud to introduce an innovative, next-generation solution the industry was missing. Solstice N71 is a groundbreaking refrigerant that provides grocers with a solution that is both reduced-GWP and operationally safe, enabling our customers to reduce their carbon footprint and comply with new regulations.”
Honeywell and its suppliers have concluded a billion-dollar investment program based on Honeywell’s hydrofluorolefin technology in research & development and additional capacity. Solstice products have prevented the release of more than 250 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide into the environment, which is the equivalent of removing the emissions from more than 52 million cars for a year.
In comparison to both typical R-404A shops and CO2-based systems, Solstice N71 provides higher eco-efficiency, allowing clients to accomplish their sustainability goals while using conventional equipment. According to Honeywell modeling, Solstice N71 provides significantly better energy performance in medium temperature applications, with a 13 percent reduction in energy usage compared to R-404A and over a 30 percent reduction compared to CO2-based systems. This refrigerant is suitable for medium temperature applications, creating more possibilities for both grocery brands and other refrigeration end-users alike along with equipment producers wanting an eco-friendly, cost-effective solution to fulfill sustainability goals.
Honeywell is a world leader in the development, manufacture, and supply of refrigerants that are sold worldwide under the Solstice® and Genetron® brand names for a range of applications, including refrigeration and building and automobile air conditioning.
SOURCE Honeywell