WHY R290 IS TOMORROW-PROOF September 11, 2024 R290 vs C02 R290 is tomorrow proof because it has an extremely low global warming potential Zero ozone depletion potential Contains zero PFAS chemicals 70% more efficient than CO2 A2Ls are a great interim solution, but they won’t be around forever. CO2 has major problems that make it a poor choice for the future, it is highly inefficient, equipment, maintenance, and operational costs are high, and reliability is poor. A quick note about A2Ls which are a good interim solution, but they won’t be around forever. Europe is already starting to phase them out because of the PFAS (forever) chemicals they contain. New York has already set a timeline to eliminate all the existing A2L refrigerants (even in existing systems) that exist today because of their global warming potential. California and the rest of the nation won’t be far behind. A2Ls all have multiple components, and glide (various component gasses boil at differing pressures and temperatures) – this adds to the cost of repairs when leaks occur, as most of the time, the entire refrigerant charge must be replaced since different parts of the refrigerant leak at different rates. A2Ls are close to R290 in efficiency, and far more efficient than CO2 R290 Co2 COMPARISON BREWERY COP 8.5 5.03 R290 is 70% more efficient than CO2 in a brewery. CRITICAL TEMPERATURE 206˚ F 88˚ F Virtually all of the US sees summertime temperatures above the critical temperature of CO2, meaning that sub-critical CO2 systefms stop working altogether when it’s hot outside. GWP GWP = 3.3 (New studies put it at less than 1) GWP-20 = 0.072 GWP-100 = 0.02 GWP = 1 GWP-20 = 1 GWP-100 = 1 Both have negligible global warming potential. However, the long term GWP for R290 is essentially zero, where CO2 is 1. If the current trends of higher efficiency requirements and the more restrictive GWP requirements continue, CO2 will be on the chopping block. FIRST COST Comparable to today’s technology. Approximately 2-4x today’s technology. Higher pressures and new components required for the trans-critical refrigeration cycle makes every part of the CO2 system more expensive. OPERATING COST Slightly more energy efficient than today’s best refrigerants. 28-70% higher energy consumption than todays common refrigerants. R290 chillers cut energy costs by about 70% when compared to CO2 trans-critical chillers. MAINTENANCE COST Similar to today’s chillers. More expensive and harder to find qualified technicians. R290 chillers are generally less costly to maintain because the basic components and technology is familiar to all refrigeration technicians. Currently, it is very difficult to find a technician qualified to work on, or even familiar with the trans-critical CO2 refrigeration cycle. REPAIR PARTS COST Similar to today’s chillers. 2-4x higher or more. R290 chiller repair parts are less costly because they’re basically the same parts we’ve used in refrigeration for the last 100 years. CO2 chiller parts require higher pressure ratings (multiple thousands of psi) and there are entirely new parts invented recently for CO2 systems, making parts tremendously more expensive. Also, because of the higher pressure and heat, the moving parts don’t last as long. TRAINING Requires safe handling training. However, the refrigeration cycle and components are all familiar. Requires safe handling training. Requires extensive training to understand and perform diagnostics on an entirely unique refrigeration cycle. Safety training is required for both options. However, CO2 systems work on a completely different (trans-critical) cycle requiring high level training to understand. To learn more about our new Elite 290 line of chillers email us directly at elite290@gdchillers.com